Telehealth
More than medical care.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth is a broad umbrella term that refers to receiving medical care, advice and other health management in a digital form. This can look like a live video primary care visit, a telephone call to discuss lab test or MRI results and digital collaboration between disparate members of a comprehensive care team. Patients access this care on their smartphone (or telephone), computer or tablet and receive care in the comfort of their own home.
What are typical types of care received under telehealth?
- Lab tests and x-ray results
- Skin conditions
- Recurring conditions like migraines and UTI’s
- Urgent care issues
- Colds, coughs, stomach aches
- Post-surgical follow-up
- High fevers
- Treatment and follow-up appointments for ADHD and ADD
- Remote monitoring for chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure
- Prescription refills and reminders
- Detailed instructions on how to continue care at home
- Occupational therapy and physical therapy
- Communications between different members of a comprehensive care team
Telehealth is growing in popularity: 80% of adults in the United States who used telehealth in the past year said it was their preferred method for accessing routine care according to a 2022 survey by J.D. Power.
Benefits of telehealth
Telehealth has many benefits for the patients, care providers and employers.
- Patients have increased access to specialists and care providers that might not be located near their home.
- Patients experience less travel time, lower wait times and are more likely to seek the medical care they need.
- Eases access to care for patients with mobility issues.
- Limits everyone’s exposure to communicable diseases.
- Lowers cost to receive care.
- Helps to ease strain on the medical system that exists due to a shortage in care providers.
- Reduces the number of claims against the health insurance plan, which reduces premium costs for employers.
- People are more likely to receive the care they need so they are healthier and more productive.
- Improves communication between different care team members which improves quality of care to patients.
- Supports sustainability by reducing transportation and increasing digital transmitting of test results, communications, etc.
Legislation of telehealth
There is no federal legislation (outside of Medicare and Medicaid regulations) that requires insurance carriers to cover telehealth in their plans, but most private plans do cover it to some extent. In addition, 42 states plus Washington, D.C. require private insurers to reimburse for telemedicine under what’s called a “parity law”. The parity law states that private insurers and payers must reimburse for telemedical care the same way they would for in-person care. Physicians and providers must be paid the same regardless of the manner the care was received.
Insurance is regulated on a state-by-state basis so to find out about your specific state’s policies regarding telehealth and its coverage, you can find the information here.
Insurance industry support for telehealth
Health insurance companies support the use of telehealth services because it helps to lower patient costs. It lowers wait times, reduces the burden on the medical system (which lowers costs), it improves chronic disease management and results in fewer, shorter hospital stays. In fact, the health insurance industry is pushing for a wider adoption of telehealth, estimating that if they can increase the use of telemedicine by 1%, the average emergency room can reduce their costs by $100 million a year.