The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly shifted how healthcare services are delivered, with telehealth emerging as a critical modality to maintain continuity of care while mitigating infection risks. In an effort to understand the implications of this shift, Manatt Health and the leadership from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) recently published an issue brief on the Impact of Medicaid Telehealth Policy Change on Equitable Access to Telehealth Services in NC.
The brief delves into the perplexing issue of inequities in telehealth utilization rates by Black and Hispanic Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries, phenomena brought under a harsh spotlight due to the current health crisis.
Policy changes surrounding Medicaid telehealth have been rapid in response to the public health emergency, with new or modified regulations impacting how patients can access services remotely. However, this adaptation has inadvertently highlighted the grave disparities in health service utilization existing within the US healthcare system, particularly in the realm of telehealth.
This issue has a significant bearing on corporate legal professionals, especially those working recurrently with healthcare institutions, as it underscores the necessity for stringent regulatory compliance and ethical conduct in administering telehealth services.
The exploratory study conducted by Manatt Health, in collaboration with NC DHHS leadership, attempts to dissect the roots of these inequities further, ultimately identifying crucial strategies to remedy the situation and promote equitable telehealth delivery.
Understanding the intricate dynamics of how racial and ethnic disparities are refracted through the lens of telehealth can provide healthcare providers, policy makers and legal professionals with the insights necessary to craft a more inclusive healthcare future. Furthermore, the decisive factor to improve equitable telehealth access for Medicaid and CHIP enrollees do not only depend on the policies themselves but also on how these policies are implemented.