Reimbursements for telehealth services are likely to be lower than non-telehealth services in the United States

Wilson, Fernando A.; Rampa, Sankeerth; Trout, Kate; Stimpson, Jim P.

doi:10.1177/1357633x16652288

Cited by 25 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Specifically, third-party payer coverage of remotely delivered medical services remains sparse and inconsistent, in South Carolina and across the country. [18][19][20][21] Parity in payment for providers who manage weight issues in partnership with physicians will be required to reasonably increase access to un-and underserved patient populations. Obesity prevention and weight management interventions provided by multidisciplinary teams of weight management experts should be accessible regardless of delivery modality (in-person and/or telemedicine).…”

Section: Lessons Learned and Future Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Description, utilisation and results from a telehealth primary care weight management intervention for adults with obesity in South Carolina

et al. 2018

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Introduction In the US, obesity rates are higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Rural access to treatment of obesity is limited by a lack of qualified clinicians and by transportation and financial barriers. We describe a telemedicine weight management programme, Wellness Connect, developed through a partnership of academic clinicians and rural primary care providers in South Carolina, and present utilisation and weight outcomes from seven patient cohorts. Methods Eight bi-weekly sessions were provided via telemedicine videoconferencing for groups of patients at these rural primary care clinics. Protocol-based sessions were led by registered dietitians, exercise physiologists and clinical psychologists at a central urban location. Results Of 138 patients who started the programme, 62% ( N = 86) of patients met the criteria for completion. Completers lost an average of 3.5% (standard deviation (SD) = 3.9%) body weight, which was statistically significant ( p < .001) and corresponded with an average loss of 3.8 kg (SD = 4.5 kg). There were no differences in weight change among clinics ( p = .972). Overall, patients and providers reported satisfaction with the programme and identified several challenges to sustainability. Discussion The use of innovative telemedicine interventions continues to be necessary to alleviate barriers to accessing evidence-based services to reduce chronic diseases and decrease obesity rates among rural populations.

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Section: Lessons Learned and Future Needsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Description, utilisation and results from a telehealth primary care weight management intervention for adults with obesity in South Carolina

et al. 2018

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“…Numerous barriers to establishing and maintaining telehealth programs in outpatient settings have been identified in prior research. These barriers include low and inconsistent reimbursement across payers, lack of provider acceptance, lack of interoperability, challenges integrating telehealth into established workflows, lack of a clinic champion, lack of broadband, and credentialing and licensing processes (Antoniotti, Drude, and Rowe, 2017;Center for Connected Health Policy, 2017;Institute of Medicine, 2012;Center for Connected Health Policy, undated;Moore et al, 2016;Wilson et al, 2017;Tracy et al, 2008;Nelson et al, 2016;Uscher-Pines et al, 2016;Uscher-Pines, Rudin, and Mehrotra, 2017;Uscher-Pines and Kahn, 2014). It is clear that both Medicare (which accounts for only a small share of FQHC spending but influences other payers' payment policies) and state Medicaid policy have a profound influence on use of telehealth by FQHCs in the United States, yet there is limited research on how state Medicaid programs and their varied policies on telehealth have served to encourage innovation and its judicious use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of Medicaid Programs and Health Centers in Implementing Telehealth

Uscher‐Pines¹,

Bouskill²,

Sousa³

et al. 2019

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Telehealth, the provision of health care from a distance by means of telecommunications technology, can improve the quality of care and access to it in underserved communities by increasing access to providers, reducing wait times, and improving convenience. However, despite its potential, telehealth is underutilized by safety-net providers due to a range of policy, organizational, and logistical barriers. This report describes the results of semistructured discussions with officials representing seven state Medicaid programs and with providers and health center leadership representing 19 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in those states. It describes how rural and urban FQHCs use various forms of telehealth and how Medicaid policy influences the delivery of telehealth services to underserved populations. This report will be of interest to regulators, policymakers, and safety-net providers interested in leveraging telehealth as a tool to increase access to care. This research was funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and carried out within the Payment, Cost, and Coverage Program in RAND Health Care to explore the experiences of state Medicaid programs and FQHCs in supporting telehealth and delivering telehealth services. RAND Health Care, a division of the RAND Corporation, promotes healthier societies by improving health care systems in the United States and other countries. We do this by providing health care decisionmakers, practitioners, and consumers with actionable, rigorous, objective evidence to support their most complex decisions. For more information, see www.rand.org/health-care, or contact

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“…ince the first reported case of COVID-19 in the United States on January 20, 2020, telemedicine and telehealth have played an instrumental role in reducing viral transmission by preserving personal protective equipment and supporting crippled health care revenue streams. [1][2][3] Before the pandemic, telehealth visits were reimbursed significantly less than in-person office visits, creating hesitancy toward implementation. [1][2][3] The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) attempted to relieve these reimbursement concerns by the 1135 waiver and the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations (CARES) act passed by the US Congress.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…8 The convenience of telehealth services has also objectively reduced caregiver burden and travel costs for patients. 1,2,5 In the context of the current pandemic, telehealth has provided a more convenient and safer alternative for both patients and providers. The question remains as to how telemedicine has quantitatively impacted the health care infrastructure in the current health care climate and the scope of its role in the post-pandemic era.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced No-Show Rates and Sustained Patient Satisfaction of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Drerup

Espenschied

Wiedemer

et al. 2021

Telemedicine and e-Health

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Introduction: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has thrust telehealth into the center stage of health care, leading to a dramatic increase in utilization of telehealth services. The impact of telehealth on patient satisfaction during the current pandemic is yet to be fully understood. Objective: This study aimed to identify patient perspectives and behaviors toward virtual primary care appointments at a telehealth-naı¨ve institution during the COVID-19 pandemic and establish the rate of missed appointments to help guide future implementation of telehealth services. Methods: Patients at a primary and specialty care clinic, seen between March and May 2020, completed a survey analyzing nine commonly used satisfaction metrics. The rate of missed appointments was recorded and compared with analogous cohorts of in-person office visits. Results: The no-show rate of telehealth visits during the COVID-19 pandemic was 7.5% (14/186), lower than both the no-show rate of 36.1% for in-office visits (56/155) (p < 0.0001) and a pre-pandemic in-office no-show rate of 29.8% (129/433) (p < 0.0001). Surveyed patients who experienced telehealth visits (n = 65) had similar satisfaction compared with those surveyed who attended in-office visits (n = 36) in seven of nine metrics. No statistically significant differences were identified in the satisfaction metrics with telehealth visits performed on video (n = 26) versus the phone-only format (n = 38). Patients aged 65 years or over were less likely to have a video component to their virtual visit (1/12, 8.3%) than those under age 65 (25/44, 56.8%) (p = 0.0031). Discussion/Conclusions: Telehealth offers significant benefits for both patients and providers, strongly supporting its widespread utilization both during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Reimbursements for telehealth services are likely to be lower than non-telehealth services in the United States

Cited by 25 publications

References 4 publications

Description, utilisation and results from a telehealth primary care weight management intervention for adults with obesity in South Carolina

Description, utilisation and results from a telehealth primary care weight management intervention for adults with obesity in South Carolina

Experiences of Medicaid Programs and Health Centers in Implementing Telehealth

Reduced No-Show Rates and Sustained Patient Satisfaction of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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