The Maryland State Medical Society, dubbed MedChi, is asking the state to support physician practices with telehealth services to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
"Our physician members have raised two major concerns about the pandemic," said Gene Ransom, MedChi CEO. "They are concerned about the lack of adequate testing and about preventing health worker exposure to the virus. But the risk of exposure for healthcare workers continues to be a major concern."
Congress, the CDC and private insurance companies have begun issuing expanded coverage and services for telehealth. The MedChi Care Transformation Organization has begun rolling out a telehealth service for its affiliated physician practices. The DrFirst Backline allows physicians to virtually treat patients without requiring patients to download an app or complete a complex registration process.
Editor's note: This story was updated March 12.