STAT+: UnitedHealth, CVS push back on Medicare plan to curb remote patient monitoring

UnitedHealth, CVS Health, and Kaiser Permanente are opposing a Medicare proposal that would restrict how doctors bill for remote patient monitoring services. These services, which utilize devices such as blood pressure cuffs, scales, and glucose meters, enable patients to manage various health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure. The proposal mandates that remote patient monitoring care be administered by the practice's own staff, prohibiting the use of contractors for the care.

All three entities, which are involved in both insurance and care delivery, have written letters to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expressing their opposition to the proposal. UnitedHealth Group's stance is particularly significant, given that the insurer UnitedHealthcare had previously attempted to cease reimbursing remote patient monitoring services due to a lack of evidence proving its effectiveness. For a comprehensive account of this story, refer to STAT+.