There is cause for celebration today. May 11, 2023, marks the end of the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 extended many of the telehealth flexibilities authorized during the COVID-19 public health emergency through December 31, 2024.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the healthcare industry, including the widespread adoption of telehealth services. To facilitate remote care and reduce the risk of virus transmission, governments and regulatory bodies implemented several policy changes regarding telehealth. Here are some common telehealth policy changes that occurred during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency:
Expansion of Telehealth Coverage: expanded insurance coverage for telehealth services, ensuring that patients could access care remotely. This involved both public and private insurance providers, with increased reimbursement for telehealth visits.
Lifting Regulatory Barriers: Regulatory bodies relaxed certain restrictions and requirements for telehealth services. For example, restrictions on the types of healthcare professionals allowed to provide telehealth services were eased, enabling a broader range of providers to offer remote care. Additionally, certain licensing requirements were temporarily waived, allowing providers to practice across state or regional boundaries.
Reimbursement Parity: To encourage healthcare providers to adopt telehealth, governments and insurance companies established reimbursement parity, which means that telehealth visits were reimbursed at the same rate as in-person visits. This helped incentivize healthcare organizations to offer remote care options and ensured that patients did not face financial barriers.
Expansion of Telehealth Modalities: Some policy changes expanded the range of telehealth modalities and technologies that could be utilized. This included allowing audio-only consultations, video conferencing platforms, remote patient monitoring devices, and other digital communication tools for remote healthcare delivery.
Relaxation of HIPAA Regulations: The U.S. government temporarily relaxed certain Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations to facilitate telehealth adoption. This allowed healthcare providers to use popular video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Skype, for telehealth visits, even if they did not meet the typical HIPAA requirements.
Temporary Suspension of Interstate Licensing Restrictions: In the United States, some states temporarily suspended or relaxed licensing requirements that limited healthcare professionals’ ability to provide telehealth services across state lines. This measure aimed to increase access to care, particularly in areas where there was a shortage of healthcare providers.
It’s important to note that these policy changes were implemented as emergency measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which these changes will be maintained or modified in the long term may vary depending on further legislative action, public health needs, and ongoing evaluations of telehealth effectiveness.