The telehealth industry, which has grown tremendously amid the pandemic, faces some uncertainty as more states end waivers allowing care across state lines.
The GAO, as directed by a provision in the CARES Act, published a report that examined the use of telehealth among Medicaid beneficiaries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic across six states.
While the 151-day extension of telehealth coverage beyond the PHE may not provide much long-term clarity regarding telehealth policy, the de-linking of telehealth coverage from the PHE is notable and necessary.
Delays in releasing regulations for that telehealth have thrown insurers and doctors back into debate about which visits should be fully covered, and some say the resulting uncertainty could undo gains the industry has made in adopting telehealth over the course of the pandemic.
Manatt Health has developed a federal and comprehensive 50-state tracker for policy, regulatory and legal changes related to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.