Opinion: What is the future of telemedicine?

It seems almost surreal that just five months ago, telemedicine was still widely considered a “nice to have” and not a “need to have.” As soon as the coronavirus pandemic hit Rhode Island with full force, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island quickly made the decision to provide coverage for telemedicine services by all of its in-network providers with no cost to members. Telemedicine visits surged 50% in March, and now virtual health-care interactions are on pace to top $1 billion nationally in 2020, according to Forrester Research.