As is known, the Regulation on the Provision of Remote Healthcare Services entered into force at the beginning of 2022. This regulation, also known as the “Telemedicine Regulation” and considered as an important milestone in terms of digital healthcare practices in Türkiye, regulates the procedures and principles regarding the provision of healthcare services independent of location and geography and based on modern medical technology.
With the Communiqué Amending the Social Security Institution Communiqué on Healthcare Practices (“Amendment Communiqué”) published in the Official Gazette dated 21 April 2024, now the definition and payment principles regarding the provision of remote healthcare services have been covered by the Social Security Institution Communiqué on Healthcare Practices (“CHP”).
Firstly, with the Amendment Communiqué, a sub-article numbered 2.1.1.B. and titled “Healthcare services for remote patient evaluation” was added to CHP. With this sub-article, the definition of healthcare services for remote patient evaluation was adopted into the CHP by referring to the Regulation on the Provision of Remote Healthcare Services.
Secondly, the sub-article “Payment for healthcare services for remote patient evaluation” added to the CHP with the Amendment Communiqué regulates the payment principles for remote healthcare services. The main regulations introduced with this sub-article are as follows:
The costs of healthcare services provided by all branches in healthcare services for remote patient evaluation will be billed with the transaction code “520032 Health services for remote patient evaluation” in the Annex-2/B List attached to the CHP. When performed by tertiary healthcare providers affiliated with the Ministry of Health, “520032” will be billed twice the transaction point price.
The Social Security Institution (“SSI”) will cover the cost of “healthcare services for remote patient evaluation” for the same patient at the same healthcare service provider at most once a day.
If medicines are prescribed within the scope of remote healthcare service provision, these medicines will be provided from contracted pharmacies.
The number of “healthcare services for remote patient evaluation” applications invoiced to the SSI will not exceed 15% of the total number of outpatient applications to the healthcare provider in all branches, excluding emergency room applications during the day.
As a result, telemedicine services, which are becoming increasingly widespread, have been included in the scope of the CHP, and the alignment between the CHP and the Regulation on the Provision of Remote Healthcare Services has been ensured