The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule Nov. 2, aimed at promoting healthcare equity and expanding access to essential services for Medicare beneficiaries. These policies include several crucial areas, such as behavioral health strategies, caregiver support, oral and dental health services linked to cancer treatments, enhancements to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program and assessments of social determinants of health.
Building on the agency’s commitment to health equity, CMS is finalizing coding and payment mechanisms for caregiver training services to ensure that healthcare practitioners are compensated for helping Medicare beneficiaries adhere to treatment plans. These are the first Physician Fee Schedule services to include payment for community health workers to address unmet social needs and enable person-centered planning.
The rule also finalizes payments for risk assessments for social determinants of health to ensure seamless integration into healthcare visits.
Lastly, the CMS Behavioral Health Strategy enhances emotional and mental well-being through behavioral health care. This rule creates a mechanism for marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors, including addiction, alcohol or drug counselors, to enroll in Medicare and bill for services beginning January 1, 2024. It also increases payment for crisis care, substance use disorder treatment, psychotherapy and Health Behavior Assessments and Intervention services.
Members with questions may contact Lauren LaPine at the MHA.