The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized changes that enable Medicare Advantage plans to cover more telehealth services, continuing the agency's recent embrace of telehealth technology.

Patients enrolled in privately run Medicare Advantage plans may receive in-home telehealth care, a service that the Medicare program has traditionally not covered, starting in 2020, according to the final rule, which was published April 5. The policy change could save Medicare beneficiaries about $557 million over the next 10 years, according to CMS.

"Today's policies represent a historic step in bringing innovative technology to Medicare beneficiaries," CMS Administrator Seema Verma said. "With these new telehealth benefits, Medicare Advantage enrollees will be able to access the latest technology and have greater access to telehealth."

Medicare is the government-run health insurance program primarily for individuals 65 years old and over. CMS contracts with private insurers to provide Medicare Advantage plans, which, in exchange for a premium, offer services that traditional fee-for-service Medicare does not. About 20 million people were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans in 2018, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan healthcare policy organization.

The final rule was not specific about the types of telehealth services that will be covered by the individual plans. According to the rule, providers of the individual Medicare Advantage plans will determine which services will be covered each year, not CMS.

Despite the advancement in telehealth technologies, CMS has typically not paid for these services, especially if the telehealth services replaced in-person visits. However, the agency began opening their payment policies up to cover telehealth care over the last few years. In January, the traditional Medicare program began covering virtual check-ins with doctors and physicians.

Healthcare experts and industry representatives have recently criticized CMS for not embracing telehealth more, saying that the agency's hesitancy has stifled innovation and hurt the delivery of care.

The agency is also restructuring requirements for certain dual eligible special needs plans, which are used by beneficiaries who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid, the government-run health insurance program for low-income Americans.

The rule requires a combined grievance and appeals process for beneficiaries. Currently, a beneficiary has to go through multiple channels within Medicare and Medicaid to file an appeal. The rule also requires Medicare and Medicaid to better integrate benefits for dual eligible special needs plans.

CMS is also updating the rating system for Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Part D plans, which cover prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.

Each policy change was required by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act.