Opinion: Telephone visits with doctors work. Don't roll them back

At the beginning of the pandemic, a crucial change to Medi-Cal reimbursement policy made telehealth more accessible than ever for California’s most vulnerable populations. Visits conducted via telephone, online video or in person were to be covered equally. Our experience as clinicians during this time has shown us that putting telephone visits on equal benefit footing has dramatically expanded access to care without compromising quality. Yet the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, along with California’s Department of Health Care Services, recently signaled they would reduce or eliminate reimbursement for audio-only visits