Preventing Medicare Telefraud Act

HR 1785, the Preventing Medicare Telefraud Act, requires doctors to have seen Medicare patients in person at least once within the past six months before ordering high-cost durable medical equipment or laboratory tests via telehealth. This applies to services covered under Medicare, directly affecting providers who frequently use telehealth for these specific high-cost items. The bill mandates Medicare contractors to audit providers ordering 90% or more of such equipment or tests via telehealth, and also requires providers to submit their National Provider Identifier (NPI) when billing for telehealth services. These provisions aim to prevent potential fraud by ensuring in-person evaluations precede telehealth orders for expensive medical items.