A lack of of transparency in billing for remote patient monitoring is creating challenges for regulators.
A new report from the Health and Human Services Department's Office of Inspector General said additional oversight is needed to ensure remote patient monitoring services are being used correctly and billing is applied appropriately.
Related: Remote patient monitoring poised to grow if reimbursement remains
Regulators found about 43% of patients enrolled in a remote patient monitoring program did not receive the full range of services. According to the report, the most common issues included patients not receiving education about how to use their devices, a lack of support in setting up the devices, and problems transmitting data to a healthcare provider.
The report also noted both the OIG and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found instances of companies signing up patients who did not need remote monitoring.
The findings come as the use of remote patient monitoring has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 570,000 Medicare patients were billed for remote patient monitoring in 2022, compared with about 55,000 in 2019.
Rising costs have followed increased adoption. In 2022, Medicare payments for remote monitoring totaled $311 million, up from $15 million in 2019.
Along with the strong growth, the sector is facing reimbursement challenges as providers attempt to navigate the cost increases.
Patients with hypertension and diabetes-related conditions made up the majority of those using remote patient monitoring, according to the report.
