Method for telemedicine services

• US 20060064319A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: T-Med Behavioral, Inc.
• Original Assignee: T-Med Behavioral, Inc.
• Inventors: Loevner, Leo Charles
• Application Number:
  US10/947,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064319A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method is provided for delivery of Telemedicine services that qualify for reimbursement by at least one of Medicare, Medicaid and private medical insurer. A Certified Medical Practitioner at a distant site provides service telecommunicatively to a patient located in a rented space at a qualifying originating site. Telecommunications are accomplished by one of audio and video equipment permitting two-way, real-time interactive communication between the Patient and the Certified Medical Practitioner or by asynchronous store and forward technologies, in single or multimedia formats, used as a substitute for an interactive telecommunications system. A Telepresenter is present at the originating site to facilitate the Telemedicine Session. The Telepresenter travels between originating sites or, alternatively, is provided by the originating site.

Claims

1. A method for delivery and reimbursement for at least one qualifying Telemedicine service provided by a Telemedicine provider, comprising the steps of:

providing space and equipment by a Telemedicine provider for a Telemedicine Session in at least one originating site;

a Telepresenter facilitating a pre-scheduled Telemedicine Session between the at least one originating site and the Telemedicine provider located at a distant site to deliver the at least one qualifying Telemedicine service to at least one Patient located in the provided space;

obtaining reimbursement for the delivered at least one Telemedicine service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein Telemedicine services comprise professional consultations, office and other outpatient visits, individual psychotherapy, and pharmacologic management.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Telemedicine provider is a Certified Medical Practitioner selected from the group consisting of Physician, Clinical Psychologist, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Nurse Midwife, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Clinical Social Worker.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one originating site is a plurality of originating sites and the at least one Telepresenter travels between said plurality of originating sites.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the Patient resides in a resident'"'"'s facility; and

further comprising the step of providing the Telepresenter by the resident'"'"'s facility.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining reimbursement step further comprises the steps of:

coding the at least one Telemedicine service provided using CPT codes with GT modifier; and

billing at least one of the group consisting of Medicare, Medicaid, and medical insurer for an originating site facility use fee and the at least one Telemedicine service provided.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one originating site is selected from the group consisting of a rural nursing home, a rural assisted living facility, and a rural continuing care retirement community.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing equipment step further comprises one of the steps selected from the group consisting of:

permanently locating all the provided equipment in the provided space for a Telemedicine session,

permanently locating a part of the provided equipment in the provided space and bringing in part of the provided equipment to the provided space for a Telemedicine Session, and

bringing in all the equipment to the provided space for a Telemedicine Session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the provided space is rented in the at least one originating site;

the provided equipment comprises Telemedicine and video equipment; and

further comprising the step of using the provided Telemedicine and video conferencing equipment by a Telemedicine provider at a distant site to deliver the at least one Telemedicine service to at least one Patient at the at least one originating site.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the video equipment comprises an interactive telecommunications system including audio and video equipment permitting two-way, real-time interactive communication between the Patient and the Telemedicine provider, and an asynchronous store and forward technology in at least one of a single or multimedia format.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the rented space is selected from the group consisting of a rural nursing home, a rural assisted living facility, and a rural continuing care retirement community.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the video equipment comprises an interactive telecommunications system including audio and video equipment permitting two-way, real-time interactive communication between the Patient and the Telemedicine provider, and an asynchronous store and forward technology in at least one of a single or multimedia format.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing equipment step further comprises one of the steps selected from the group consisting of:

permanently locating all the provided equipment in the provided space for a Telemedicine session,

permanently locating a part of the provided equipment in the provided space and bringing in part of the provided equipment to the provided space for a Telemedicine Session, and

bringing in all the equipment to the provided space for a Telemedicine session.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of facilitating further comprises the steps of:

if the provided equipment is partially brought in, bringing a part of the provided equipment in to the originating site;

connecting the provided equipment in the provided space to the distant site;

monitoring interaction between the Telemedicine provider at the distant site and the Patient at the originating site;

receiving diagnosis and other results from the Telemedicine provider;

conveying diagnosis and other results to at least one of the Patient and a local Medical facility for implementation

recording diagnosis and other results of the pre-scheduled Telemedicine session.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein connecting is by means of one of the group consisting of modem, satellite, Internet, ISDN, LAN, WAN.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for at least one Telemedicine service for at least one Patient from at least one originating site;

certifying the at least one Patient'"'"'s eligibility for reimbursement, for the requested at least one Telemedicine service, by at least one of the group consisting of Medicare, Medicaid, and medical insurer;

transmitting each certified Patient'"'"'s relevant medical records to the distant site Telemedicine provider; and

pre-scheduling the at least one originating site space and distant site Telemedicine provider for a Telemedicine session.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

when a Telemedicine session uses asynchronous store and forward technology, performing the steps of;

recording the Telemedicine session;

forwarding the recorded Telemedicine session to the Telemedicine provider at the distant site; and

receiving a diagnosis from the Telemedicine provider for the forwarded Telemedicine session.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

providing a database;

maintaining medical records for the at least one Patient medical in the provided database; and

storing the request, schedule, session, and diagnosis of the Telemedicine session in the provided database.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein connecting is by means of one of the group consisting of modem, satellite, Internet, ISDN, LAN, WAN.