Industry Resources | March 17, 2020
HHS OIG Policy Statement On Practitioners That Reduce, Waive Amounts Owed By Beneficiaries For Telehealth Services During The COVID-19 Outbreak
The bulletin was released on March 17, 2020, by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) within the federal Department of Health and Human Services. It states that the OIG will not subject physicians and other clinical professionals to administrative sanctions if they reduce or waive cost-sharing obligations (such as copayments or deductibles) that federal health care program beneficiaries may owe for telehealth visits. Normally, reducing or waiving such costs potentially implicate federal anti-kickback statutes and civil monetary penalties. The OIG policy statement does not mandate that cost sharing be waived or amended . . .