Do the telemedicine providers have to be credentialed at the facility where the patient is located?
The most likely answer is “yes” under current Medicare requirements. The Joint Commission policies, however, do allow an exception in Joint Commission accredited facilities. This exception occurs when a physician is providing advice to another physician in a remote facility via telemedicine and the remote physician retains responsibility for the care of the patient. Under these circumstances, consulting specialists do not need to be credentialed at a remote facility so long as they are credentialed at their own institutions, which must be Joint Commission accredited institutions. The Joint Commission exception applies to private pay patients. Application to Medicaid patients is dependent on state regulations. Nevertheless, many facilities find it prudent to credential at remote sites because of the Medicare requirements and state requirements. In specific cases, such as in use of store-and-forward consultations for private pay patients, credentialing may not be required. It may also no
