The widespread Medicare Advantage program will feature broadened access to telehealth services, under a newly adopted rule.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a new rule, seeking to expand access to telehealth services for the many users of Medicare Advantage, effective June 1. From an article on the site HealthCareFinanceNews.com:

CMS is giving MA plans more flexibility to count telehealth providers in certain specialty areas such as Dermatology, Psychiatry, Cardiology, Ophthalmology, Nephrology, Primary Care, Gynecology, Endocrinology, and infectious diseases, towards meeting CMS network adequacy standards.

This flexibility will encourage plans to enhance their benefits to give beneficiaries access to the latest telehealth technologies and increase plan choices for beneficiaries residing in rural areas, CMS said.

From the Medicare.gov website:

Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called “Part C” or “MA Plans,” are an “all in one” alternative to Original Medicare. They are offered by private companies approved by Medicare.  If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you still have Medicare.  These “bundled” plans include  Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance), and usually Medicare prescription drug (Part D).

The CMS main offices are in Baltimore County, Maryland.