The U.S. government shutdown on October 1 could affect those in the imaging community who bill for certain Evaluation and Management (E&M) services, such as interventional radiology, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine, the American College of Radiology (ACR) said.
Interpretation of imaging studies performed via teleradiology will not be affected, as these services are covered by Medicare in accordance with the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual. However, certain telehealth flexibilities enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic have now lapsed.
“This means that telehealth use for certain E&M services is now limited to rural areas as they were before the COVID-19 public health emergency and that patients are not able to receive telehealth services in their homes,” the ACR noted in a statement.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has instructed providers who choose to perform telehealth services that are not payable by Medicare on or after October 1 to evaluate providing beneficiaries with an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage, according to the college.
