The widespread adoption of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has been welcomed by patients, providers, insurers and vendors, but some are still skeptical about its final place in healthcare delivery, according to a June 7 KHN report.
U.S. health systems, consumer groups, payers, state Medicaid officials, physician organizations and telehealth vendors have been urging Congress and the Biden administration to keep pandemic-fueled expansions of telehealth in place.
Last year, Medicare added 140 telehealth services to its list of payable coverages during COVID-19 and raised fees for virtual visits to match in-office exams. The move was shortly adopted by state Medicaid programs and various commercial insurers. While less than 1 percent of primary care visits in Medicare occurred virtually in January 2020, by April nearly half did, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, KHN reports.
"We’ve seen that telehealth is an extraordinary tool," Highmark CEO David Holmberg told the publication. "It’s convenient for the patient, and it’s convenient for the doctor. Now we need to make it sustainable and enduring."
The rapid expansion of telehealth has drawn skepticism from supporters and critics. Even those who want permanent provisions in place said there should be better safeguards to prevent fraud, preserve quality and ensure low-income patients and communities of color with less access to technology aren't left behind.
Similar to previous medical innovations, telehealth may become "another billing tool that simply drives up costs," some worry, according to the report.
"I don’t think there’s any debate that there is a value in better access, but if this is just a one-off service that adds another billing option without fitting into patients’ regular care, I don’t know if it will do much for patients’ health," Tom Banning, CEO of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, told the publication.
Despite helping fuel telehealth's expansion over the last year by offering the same rates as in-person care, Medicare and many payers are expected to push for lower prices when the public health crisis ends.
Dr. Hoangmai Pham, a former senior medical official at Anthem, said insurers are "unlikely to give providers carte blanche," but added that there's an opportunity for payers to reward providers that take greater responsibility for their patients' overall health with higher rates for telehealth.
The fate of telehealth relies heavily on Congress and the Biden administration, which has not indicated whether it will make permanent the rule changes from last year. The provisions are set to expire when the public health emergency ends, which is likely at the end of 2021, according to the report.
Click here to view the full report.