It seems as if telehealth is working quite well for a large segment of the US population during the novel coronavirus pandemic, including older adults and people with disabilities. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is covering telehealth services broadly, allowing people with Medicare to get care electronically–through their smartphones and computers–while the novel coronavirus rages on and millions are making use of these services. There’s now a large push to make this change permanent
According to CMS, in the last few months, people with Medicare used telehealth services for primary care visits 40 percent of the time. They are able to get care they need without having to go into their doctors’ offices. Before then, telehealth had accounted for one-tenth of one percent of all primary care visits.
People seem to like telehealth services. One University of Michigan poll found that more than seven in ten people want to use telehealth for follow-up visits with their physicians. Almost two-thirds of people feel comfortable using video conference as a substitute for an in-person visit. But, if traditional Medicare is to continue providing telehealth services once the pandemic is behind us, Congress will need to enact legislation approving it.
For now, many in Congress on both sides of the aisle see telehealth as valuable. It allows for better care coordination and monitoring. It makes it easier to deliver mental health services. It opens up access to care for people who live in rural communities and nursing homes.
But not everyone thinks telehealth is terrific. Many people still believe that telehealth could compromise the quality of their care. They believe quality turns, at least in part, on a physical exam. And, some people worry about losing their privacy.
Many experts ask: If the government opts to extend coverage for telehealth services so that it continues post pandemic, how will it ensure quality and address fraud. How will frail older adults and people with disabilities benefit from telehealth?
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