What does "24/7 access" to care really mean?

Providing chronic care management services comes with numerous requirements, including 24/7 access to care. Here’s what that means, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:

Providing patients and caregivers with a means to make contact with health care professionals in the practice to address urgent needs regardless of the time of day or day of week. The patient’s care plan must be made available in a timely manner but not necessarily 24/7.

Adapted from “Coding & Documentation” and “New Codes, New Payment Opportunities for 2017.”