Beginning in January, UnitedHealthcare will discontinue its payments to doctors for remotely monitoring data collected by patients at home for chronic conditions, including high blood pressure.
This policy, which affects both Medicare and commercial plans offered by the country’s largest insurer, was announced in September. It mainly targets remote physiological monitoring (RPM) for various patient conditions using devices like blood pressure monitors. The policy claims that RPM is deemed “unreasonable and unnecessary” due to a lack of sufficient evidence for its effectiveness across several conditions, such as hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, and diabetes. However, the insurer will continue to support monitoring for heart failure and hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.
UnitedHealthcare’s choice to cut back on coverage for remote monitoring services will have a significant impact on millions of members. This decision follows considerable backlash the insurer received for not covering medically necessary treatments for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Additionally, the parent company, UnitedHealth Group, is currently undergoing a financial restructuring.
