LMFTs Working for RHCs and FQHCs During the Pandemic

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it has made several changes to Rural Health Center (RHC) requirements and payments to provide as much support as possible to RHCs and their patients. Some of the changes include:

• Healthcare practitioners, including LMFTs working for RHCs or Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are permitted to provide Telehealth services from any location, including their home.
• Approved Telehealth services can be found here: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-General-Information/Telehealth/Telehealth-Codes. Payment to RHCs and FQHCs for distant site Telehealth services is set at $92.
• Payment for virtual communication services now include digital assessment services. Digital assessment services are non-face-to-face, patient-initiated, digital communications using a secure online patient portal.
• The RHC must submit an RHC claim directly on behalf of the healthcare provider.
• For more information, visit https://www.cms.gov/files/document/se20016.pdf.

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