The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted normal operations in many communities. We also know that an organization’s staff, patients and members are its priority. It’s a good idea to use telemedicine as an extension of care to safely support patients and the care team during this time.
NCQA doesn’t have all the answers about how to shift to virtual/telemedicine as a response to COVID-19, but we have resources. You can find NCQA updates about COVID-19 here.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Information for Healthcare Professionals: Offers interim guidance.
- Resources for Clinics and Healthcare Facilities: Interim Guidance for Health Care Facilities and Steps Healthcare Facilities Can Take contain information about telemedicine.
- International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Center for Connected Health Policy
- Telehealth Coverage Policies in the Time of COVID-19
- Billing for Telehealth Encounters: An introductory guide on fee for service
American College of Physicians (ACP)
- COVID-19 Telehealth Coding and Billing Practice Management Tips: A toolkit for practices adopting telehealth in response to COVID-19.
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
- Inside Look at Using Telemedicine During COVID-19 Pandemic: High-level information.
- Using Telehealth to Care for Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Contains links to the CMS General Telemedicine Toolkit and AMA Telemedicine Quick Set-Up Guide. Also contains other relevant information, including sections on telemedicine reimbursement and technology.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
- Critical Updates on COVID-19: Refer to the section on Telemedicine and Telephone Care.
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)
- Coronavirus Updates: At this time there is nothing specific to telehealth, but you might want to check back periodically.
Jazmyne Carter is the Social Media Specialist at NCQA. Her passions include health care, family welfare and child advocacy. She has a background in journalism and strategic digital communications.