Medicare telehealth reimbursements grow, but not enough, say critics

Medicare telemedicine reimbursements totaled $13.9 million in calendar year 2014—the highest level to date. But, critics argue that the figure is nowhere near where it should be. The 2014 payments included $12,482,270 in provider fees at the distant site (the location of the telemedicine provider) and $1,452,160 for originating site fees (the location of the patient). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provided the data to the Robert J. Waters Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law (CTeL), a legal and regulatory organization that focuses on issues impacting the advancement of telehealth.