What is Teletherapy?
Teletherapy is the online delivery of speech, occupational, physical and mental health therapy services via high-resolution, live video conferencing. Sessions are scheduled at a mutually suitable time for the therapist and client who then log-in via a secure HIPAA compliant video platform. The therapist and client can see and hear each other in real-time during the session via the use of webcams and therapist headset. Through this virtual environment, they can interact with each other, and the therapist uses many of the same traditional techniques and activities they would use in a face-to-face therapy session.
All Care will be using Google Meet as our teletherapy platform, which is secure and HIPAA compliant.
What Will Clients Need at Home in Order to Participate?
Internet Connection
Google Chrome if accessing from the web
Google Meet app if accessing from a cell phone or tablet
A device with a camera and microphone
Prior to your session, your therapist will send you documents for you to access and/or a small list of everyday materials that can be gathered from around your home that will be specific to your treatment.
Which of All Care’s Payer Sources Cover Teletherapy?
We have reached out to each of our contracted payer sources to determine their Teletherapy policies. If your insurance is not listed below, that means our office has reached out and has not received a response from their representatives at this time.
Aetna - Is reporting that they will cover teletherapy if it is a provision on your plan. Due to our past experiences with Aetna, we will require you to reach out to Aetna directly to determine if this provision exists on your individual plan. We are requiring clients to personally complete this step due to the high degree of misinformation we have received from Aetna representatives in the past regarding even traditional provision of therapy services, particularly speech therapy. We are happy to assist you with the specific questions you should ask and related ICD-10 diagnosis codes and CPT treatment codes.
Amerigroup- No information has been released. We will continue to monitor.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Commercial Plans - Despite daily attempts, we have not yet received a clear response from BCBS regarding coverage. Currently BCBS is reporting that individuals should contact BCBS to determine plan specific coverage.
BCBS Medicaid - Will cover teletherapy services for Occupational and Speech Therapy. Physical Therapy is not yet covered, but we will continue to monitor their policies for updates.
Blue Star - Teletherapy services are not covered.
Cigna/ASH-Will cover teletherapy services for Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Physical Therapy services
DSSW - Teletherapy services are not covered.
Humana - Will cover teletherapy services, provided they are approved in advance by the Authorizations department.
Kenmar - Will cover teletherapy services.
Medicare - Within the last week, Medicare has approved "e visits" for therapy services; however, the reimbursement rate associated with this type of visit is significantly lower than that of traditional visits and as a result, we will only be able to provide sessions that are a maximum of 30 minutes in length. Medicare has the legal requirement that the session must be a minimum of 21minutes in length in order to be billed. Additionally, Medicare will only allow clients to receive these services 1 time per week per discipline.
Oscar - Teletherapy services for PT, OT and Speech are not covered. Telehealth services are currently only covered for physician visits.
Tricare - Teletherapy services are covered for PT, OT and Speech. Reimbursements rates and co-pays remain the same as traditional visits.
Traditional Medicaid/TMHP - Will cover teletherapy services for Occupational and Speech Therapy. Physical Therapy is not yet covered, but we will continue to monitor their policies for updates.
United Health Care - Teletherapy services are not covered.
Scott and & White- No information has been released. We will continue to monitor.
Superior - No information has been released. We will continue to monitor.
Cash Pay - Teletherapy services are available on a cash pay basis according to our current cash pay rates: $75 for 60 minutes, $60 for 45 minutes and $50 for 30 minutes. We will offer a 10% discount on all cash pay services completed from Monday 3/23/20 - Friday 4/03/20 via teletherapy.
What If My Insurance Does Not Cover Teletherapy Services?
We are in an unprecedented time in healthcare and policies are literally changing hourly. Many payers are currently still in the process of creating or modifying their existing telehealth policies in response to this pandemic. If your payer is one that does not currently cover teletherapy services, this is an excellent time to contact your insurance carrier to advocate for your preferences and needs as a consumer.
Even if your insurance has reported these will be covered services, because many of these policies are so new to everyone, we do not have information on how these claims are actually going to process or what the turn around time for claims processing will be. If you opt to participate in teletherapy services and your insurance has stated it will be covered but then does not pay your claims, our office will appeal the claim up to three times on your behalf. Just like our traditional therapy services, anything not covered by insurance becomes patient responsibility. If your insurance ultimately does not cover your claims, you will be charged our corresponding cash pay rate for each of your visits. We will also extend our 10% discount on teletherapy services completed from Monday 3/23/20 - Friday 4/03/20 to any visits that are ultimately not covered by insurance. We are not able to make this adjustment to co-pays, co-insurance payments and visits that are processed toward your deductible.
What Is The Payment Policy?
At this time, we do not know how or when teletherapy claims will process and payment from insurance will be received. We anticipate that there will be delays in the coming months. In order to ensure that we are still able to provide services without disruption, we will require all teletherapy clients to keep a credit card on file and sign a consent to charge the card our cash pay rate the day your service is completed, regardless of your insurance coverage, with the exception of Medicaid plans. If your insurance ultimately covers your sessions, you will have a credit on your account, minus any applicable patient responsibility, which can either be refunded or applied to future visits. Please note that deductibles, co-pays and co-insurances still apply according to your plan’s provisions.
How Do I Schedule a Teletherapy Session?
Please visit our website's teletherapy page by clicking this link here. From this page, you can click on the picture of the therapist you would like to schedule your appointment with. This will direct you to your therapist's teletherapy availability. After selecting your appointment day and time, you will place your email address into the confirmation box. Upon confirmation of your appointment, you will receive a link to use to access your Google Meet session at your scheduled time.
After scheduling your appointment, your therapist will reach out with further details regarding your particular session and its needs. They will also help you with any technology related issues you may have.
If you need assistance scheduling your appointment or have any questions regarding teletherapy services, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office.
We are so thankful to have the opportunity to continue to serve you during this difficult time for our nation.
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