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In article <t2ii87$3lak5$24@news.freedyn.de>
<governor.swill@gmail.com> wrote:

For the nearly 10 million people using TRICARE as their
healthcare insurance provider, telehealth appointments have been
free of copays, adding a layer of financial relief during a
worldwide pandemic. However, that is now about to change as the
United States rethinks the pandemic’s national emergency status.

The Defense Health Agency says it will, once again, start
charging copays for telehealth visits with medical
professionals. The change marks the first time in more than two
years that TRICARE recipients will have to pay upfront for
remote care. There is one caveat, however. Telephone
appointments will not incur copayments, only video calls.

The change does not effect TRICARE for Life recipients.

DHA has not announced when the new rule will take place, however
the logistics of the policy are all sewn up. DHA spokesman Peter
Graves confirmed to Federal News Network that the policy will
not go into effect until the providers are informed of the
decision. There is currently no timeline for that process.

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“The Defense Department implemented temporary coverage of
telephonic office visits effective May 12, 2020, in order to
provide beneficiaries the option to obtain some medical services
safely from home, reducing their exposure to COVID-19 and to
minimize potential spread of the illness,” the June Federal
Register notice on the issue states. “With the approval or
emergency use authorization of several vaccines by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration, the widespread availability of such
vaccines throughout the United States, and the elimination of
stay-at-home orders by most states and localities, this
provision is no longer necessary.”

DHA estimates that by sunsetting the telehealth copayment waiver
it can recoup about $4.8 million in costs a month.

The agency estimates to loose nearly $150 million by not
collecting telehealth copays over the past two years.

As far as telephonic appointments go, DHA says the new benefit
will cost about $20 million through 2024.

“DoD received positive public comments regarding telephonic
office visits including multiple requests for the agency to
consider it as a permanent benefit,” the Federal Register notice
stated. “After thoughtful consideration of these facts, and
through this final rule revising the regulatory exclusion
prohibiting reimbursement of telephonic (audio-only) office
visits, the DoD will revise the exclusion of audio-only
telephonic services and add medically necessary telephonic
office visits as a covered telehealth service under the TRICARE
Basic Benefit.”

Those comments came from the likes of the American College of
Physicians and the American Medical Association.

Groups advocating for service member health said they had some
concerns about bringing back the copay.

“The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) appreciates
the temporary TRICARE flexibilities to address the impact of
COVID-19 and understands these policies must be revisited,”
Karen Ruedisueli, MOAA’s director of government relations for
health affairs wrote in a June blog post. “However, we remain
concerned about mental health copays and fear the expiration of
the telehealth cost sharing waiver will present a barrier to
access to those receiving mental health care via telehealth.”

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2022/08/tricare- recipients-will-once-again-have-to-pay-telehealth-copays/

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