UnitedHealth and CVS Push Back Against Proposed Medicare RPM Cuts

UnitedHealth and CVS Health have pushed back against a Medicare plan to curb remote patient monitoring (RPM) use in the US. The move is seen as an effort by the healthcare giants to preserve their profits from RPM services, which have become increasingly popular among patients and providers.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed a rule that would limit reimbursement for RPM services, citing concerns over potential waste and abuse of the system. UnitedHealth and CVS Health have argued that the proposal is overly broad and would unfairly penalize legitimate use of RPM technology.

UnitedHealth, in particular, has been a major player in the RPM market, offering its own line of connected devices to patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. The company's RPM services have reportedly generated significant revenue for UnitedHealth, with some estimates suggesting that the company earns upwards of $100 per month from each patient using its RPM technology.

CVS Health has also been a major proponent of RPM, offering its own line of connected devices to patients and partnering with RPM vendors to offer bundled services. While CVS Health has not disclosed specific revenue figures for its RPM business, the company's efforts to push back against the CMS proposal suggest that it stands to lose significant profits if the rule is implemented.