Washington, DC (March 18, 2020) —The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released a tip sheet of COVID-19 Management Tips for Practices with guidance for physician practices about how to deal with the rapidly changing situation surrounding COVID-19. The tips contain information about using telehealth, tips on coding, and additional information about steps practices can take.
The coding information includes guidance about coding for telehealth and online digital services and incorporates changes to a number of telehealth rules announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 17, 2020. It also includes new ICD-10 codes and the importance of using appropriate codes because some cost-sharing will be waived for COVID-19 testing and treatment.
ACP additionally sent a letter today to CMS about telehealth and other remotely-provided services reacting to the guidance that the agency has already issued and making recommendations for further steps to facilitate the use of these services during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) national emergency.
“ACP believes that telehealth can be especially useful for primary care internists delivering care to patients under quarantine or as a way to prevent patients with less-severe symptoms from seeking care at hospital emergency departments,” wrote Robert McLean, MD, MACP, president, ACP in the letter.
The practice management tips are free and available to anyone. The page will be updated as the situation evolves. Other new guidance for physicians will be posted on ACP’s COVID-19 resource page as it becomes available.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 159,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Contact: Jackie Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org