May 5, 2011

Medicare & Medicaid Programs: Changes Affecting Hospital & Critical Access Hospital Conditions of Participation: Telemedicine Credentialing & Privileging

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the final rule for telemedicine credentialing and privileging. Hospitals and critical access hospitals serving Medicare beneficiaries will be permitted to rely on the credentialing and privileging processes used by telemedicine provider organizations as long as the hospitals document that the telemedicine provider organization uses a process equal to or exceeding the hospitals process. Hospitals will not be required to conduct credentialing and privileging for every individual professional providing services via telemedicine.