Home health providers are receiving more temporary policy support in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced another round of COVID-19 regulatory waivers and new rules aimed at reinforcing the operations of Medicare-reimbursed providers. For home health agencies, in particular, CMS stated that it is loosening Medicare homebound requirements while also opening up more telehealth doors.

Home health advocates have been calling for both moves since the COVID-19 crisis elevated into a national emergency.

“Every day, heroic nurses, doctors and other health care workers are dedicating long hours to their patients,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. “This means sacrificing time with their families and risking their very lives to care for coronavirus patients. Front line health care providers need to be able to focus on patient care in the most flexible and innovative ways possible.”

Normally, patients are only eligible for home health services if they’re confined to the home due to illness or injury — or because leaving home requires “a considerable and taxing effort.”

In the context of COVID-19, home health providers feared that relatively rigid rule would leave some isolated individuals in danger.

CMS addressed that specific concern on Monday.

“If a physician determines that a Medicare beneficiary should not leave home because of a medical contraindication or due to suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and the beneficiary needs skilled services, he or she will be considered homebound and qualify for the Medicare Home Health Benefit,” CMS noted in its announcement. “As a result, the beneficiary can receive services at home.”

Also on Monday, CMS said it is further promoting telehealth in Medicare, an action Congress asked for in the recently enacted CARES Act.

Building on prior action to expand reimbursement for telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries, CMS will now allow for more than 80 additional services to be furnished via telehealth, according to the agency.

Providers also can evaluate beneficiaries who have audio phones only.

“CMS is expanding access to telehealth services for people with Medicare,” the agency touted. “This means they can receive care where they are: at home or in a nursing or assisted living facility. If they have COVID-19, they can remain in isolation and prevent spread of the virus. If they aren’t infected, they can get care without risking exposure to others who may be ill.”

Home health care has largely been left out of CMS’s previous telehealth expansions, apart from flexibilities surrounding physician face-to-face requirements.

On Monday, however, CMS announced that home health agencies can provide “more services to beneficiaries using telehealth,” so long as it is part of the patient’s plan of care and does not replace needed in-person visits as ordered on the plan of care.

CMS said that providers can bill for telehealth visits at the same rate as in-person visits. Still, it’s somewhat unclear if that explicitly means a home health telehealth visit is reimbursed equally to a traditional in-person visit during the COVID-19 emergency. 

Meanwhile, CMS is additionally waiving  requirements for a nurse to conduct an on-site visit every two weeks for home health and hospice.

“This would include waiving the requirements for a nurse or other professional to conduct an onsite visit every two weeks to evaluate if aides are providing care consistent with the care plan, as this may not be physically possible for a period of time,” CMS stated. 

CMS officials are scheduled to provide further information during a call with members of the media at 7 p.m. CT.

This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.