Before the COVID-19 pandemic sparked the telehealth boom, Ochsner Health was already using the technology to manage chronic conditions for patients across the South and is now working to provide remote patient monitoring services in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Sharp Rees-Stealy in San Diego did only a few dozen telehealth visits with patients in the entire month of February in 2020. That number skyrocketed to roughly 2,000 a day during March of 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic sent everyone home.
While audio-only cannot sufficiently replace two-way synchronous telehealth, it remains a critical interim solution to address gaps in equity and access to care.
The telemedicine cases involved allegations of billing Medicare for fraudulent genetic cancer testing, and telemedicine executives paying doctors and others to order unnecessary durable medical equipment, diagnostic testing and medications.
New funding will allow more medical appointments to take place via video in rural communities, where some of the nation's oldest and sickest patients live.
Congress has shown support for making the shift to telehealth permanent through mechanisms such as the Connect for Health Act. But many states have already rescinded the licensing waivers that allowed clinicians and some other providers to practice across state lines, or are preparing to do so.