WHEREAS, Telemedicine has evolved significantly through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and became a lifeline for patients seeking care in ways that could minimize infectious exposure; and
WHEREAS, Telemedicine visits have been embraced as a welcome alternative to in-person care by patients and physicians, with research supporting the desire for continuing virtual access; and
WHEREAS, Physicians embraced and utilized telemedicine to care for their patients as well as generate revenues for their practices during a time when visits dropped dramatically, and elective procedures were suspended; and
WHEREAS, A significant proportion of patients want to continue to receive care through telemedicine and many physicians have started to implement practice redesign to integrate telemedicine into their routines and care paradigms, and
WHEREAS, The public health emergency (PHE) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to executive and legislative mandates that reduce regulatory and payer burdens and expanded the scope of care permitted; and
WHEREEAS, The state of Virginia has a baseline of regulations supporting the use and payment for telemedicine and embraced the federal deregulation of constraints and protections to increase access to care for patients in a variety of ways that include adding preventive care codes as well as the originating and distant site care locations; and
WHEREEAS, Many of these enhancements are likely to expire as the pandemic recedes, to the detriment of patients and physician practices, and will need both consumer and physician advocacy to become permanent; and
WHEREEAS, It will be important for our MSV to have the appropriate policy and informed advocacy to support and preserve the progress made in telemedicine; andi
RESOLVED, MSV supports increasing broadband access and health technology literacy throughout the Commonwealth, especially to underserved populations.
i https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicare-telemedicine-health-care-provider-fact-sheet
https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/clinical-care/patients-eager-embrace-telemedicine-new-survey-finds
https://evisit.com/state-telemedicine-policy/virginia/
telemedicine reimbursement
My personal experience with two telephone “visits” as a patient with different physicians, was far less satisfying, valuable, etc. as in person visits and, in my opinion, should not be equivalently reimbursed. At times, such visits are better than nothing but a brief email would have been as worthwhile and productive in each of my “visits”.
telemedicine reimbursement
When I posted this comment, it was (I thought) in reference to pay parity with in person viait
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Do we need this? Do we want it narrow, or will “healthcare technology advances including broadband” for example, do the job? The wording seems awkward…supporting healthcare technology literacy TO underserved areas. This (telemedicine) is a taskforce issue.
Telemedicine
A telemedicine visit should be paid on parity with a in-person visit; probably no more than a level 3. As for broadband; except for elderly, I have yet to see a patient in recent years without access to a smartphone.
Telemedicine bills
I fully support the position that telemedicine visits should be paid at parity with in person visits, and that we need to support the continuation of reimbursement for audio only telephone services to ensure all patients have access to care (recognizing that audio-only is not a telemedicine service). We also need to expand training in telehealth, and strongly support programs that increase broadband deployment across the Commonwealth. We also need to advance policies that cover remote patient monitoring services to improve patient outcomes. The Adams, Dunnavant and Barker bills in the special session have captured many of these goals. Continued coverage within Medicaid is imperative.
Will not stand the test of time
I think we need a broader approach to telemedicine. Direct interaction and examination of the patient is always preferred, MSV recognizes that in some circumstances telemedicine serves as a necessary alternative. It should be recognized as a patient interaction and compensated.
policy to support access to care
The goal is to provide broadband to underserved areas, primarily rural, so that access to telehealth care might be enhanced. Improving health technology literacy through outreach and innovation can increase access to care and the potential for better health care to underserved populations, be them rural or urban.