The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a series of proposed changes to the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule.

The proposals are designed to streamline documentation, as well as advance digital health by paying physicians for virtual check-ins and expanding Medicare-covered telehealth offerings.

“Physicians tell us they continue to struggle with excessive regulatory requirements and unnecessary paperwork that steal time from patient care,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “. . . The proposed changes to the Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program address those problems head-on, by streamlining documentation requirements to focus on patient care and by modernizing payment policies so seniors and others covered by Medicare can take advantage of the latest technologies to get the quality care they need.”

You can read the full release from CMS here.