COVID-19: CMS Issues Telehealth Guidance For State Medicaid And CHIP Programs

On April 23, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the “State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit: Policy Considerations for States Expanding Use of Telehealth” (the Toolkit). Telehealth allows patients to receive necessary health care services without risking the spread of COVID-19 through in-person interactions. The Toolkit is one of several guidance documents CMS has issued to expand use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. As discussed previously, CMS has expanded coverage of telehealth services for all Medicare beneficiaries, allowing practitioners to treat patients (whether new or established) via telehealth, and allowing telephone only services in various circumstances.