CommercialCoverageMedium impact
Home health telehealth update
UPMC Health Plan·Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy +1 more·Education
Effective date
Apr 1, 2022
We identified it
Aug 7, 2026
Summary
UPMC Health Plan has made home health telehealth a permanent covered service effective April 1, 2022. Telehealth visits for home health services (skilled nursing, medical social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and home health aide services) now require both audio and video components. Billing teams must ensure claims for these services delivered via telehealth are properly coded and submitted under the updated Telehealth – MP.148 policy.
Action Required
By April 1, 2022: Billing team must update systems and workflows to recognize home health telehealth as a covered service under UPMC Health Plan's Telehealth – MP.148 policy. Verify that home health agencies and providers understand the requirement for audio AND video components in all telehealth visits. Ensure billing software is configured to accept and process home health telehealth claims (skilled nursing, medical social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and home health aide services). Coordinate with home health agencies to confirm they have telehealth capabilities meeting the audio/video requirement. Update any internal documentation or encounter forms to reflect that home health telehealth is now a permanent option. Communicate policy details to all providers and home health partners. Failure to properly bill telehealth home health services may result in claim denials or delays if video component requirement is not met.