CMS has proposed an extension of its current virtual direct supervision rule through December 31, 2025, and to permanently allow virtual direction supervision for a subset of services.
The rule allows physicians to provide direct supervision through real-time, audio-visual technology, according to a July 16 report from JD Supra.
The proposed rule extension would allow practitioners to continue using virtual direct supervision as CMS considers the future of virtual direct supervision while balancing patient safety, quality and program integrity concerns.
The rule also proposes permanently extending virtual direct supervision for some incident-to-services that are almost always performed entirely by auxiliary personnel, including office or other outpatient visits for the evaluation and management of an established patient that may not require the presence of a physician or other qualified healthcare professional.
According to CMS, these services present less of a threat to patient safety and are low risk, so they do not demand in-person supervision.
The proposed rule also suggests a path to permit permanent virtual direct supervision for additional services in the future.