Consumers First Submits Comments to CMS on CY2022 Physician Payment Rule Laying Out Vision for Telehealth Payment and Delivery Beyond the Pandemic

Consumers First submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the CY 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule which sets the payment rates for how most physicians and paid throughout the health care system. The comment letter expands on the following feedback:

• Expresses support to CMS for permanently expanding access to audio-only mental health telehealth services and encourages CMS to expand permanent access to audio-only telehealth services to additional services.
• Encourages CMS to integrate telehealth payment and delivery into existing Alternative Payment Models for the long-term sustainability of telehealth in the health care system.
• Provides feedback to CMS on their Request for Information focused on addressing health equity in clinician quality programs.
• Encourages CMS to move towards payment models in Medicare that are centered on primary care and that support clinicians to move away from high volume, low-quality care towards affordable, high-quality health care.