Telehealth, New Legislation, And Successful Outcomes Put Technology At The Forefront of Home Healthcare.
Technology is all around us and the innovations we use every day were unimaginable just a few years ago. In the home healthcare industry, technology and telehealth advances clearly contribute to the universal goals of smarter solutions and better outcomes. Part of the new industry standard, from specialty software for home health, hospice and private pay to telephony to back door portals to telehealth for physicians and family members, these remarkable tools have transformed the way we care for patients and align our business goals.
Ten years ago, the desire to adopt new technologies did not reconcile with an agency’s spreadsheet. The high cost to implement new systems cut into overall operating expenses, and none of the costs were considered an allowable expense in Medicare cost reports. In recent years, CMS has identified telehealth as a cost saver and more and more is encouraging agencies to invest in these new technologies. However, even with that encouragement, CMS still does not allow the costs to be factored in as a business expense. The recent passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signals these outdated attitudes are changing. As I dig deeper and deeper into the legislation, there are clear indications that CMS will soon allow telehealth costs to be considered a reportable expense. What the limits will be and how they will be declared is not yet clear, but it is a fine start.