Audio Only Telehealth Visits Essential for Use in Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment

This Issue Brief explains how, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, audio-only telehealth is an essential tool to provide continuity of care and address medical concerns of beneficiaries. Additionally, it will help Medicare Advantage plans serve beneficiaries with cognitive and functional impairments and seniors facing the digital divide.

Better Medicare Alliance believes it is essential that risk adjustment be accurate and stable to ensure adequate resources are available to cover all medical care and services for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Therefore, it is recommended that CMS permit diagnoses obtained during audio-only telehealth visits to count towards a beneficiary’s risk score when in-person clinical visits are not advisable.