Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic pushed telehealth to the forefront of American healthcare modalities, this revolutionary approach to healthcare delivery has seen a gamut of responses from cheerleaders and cheaters. The telehealth boom has proven benefits, leading members of the United States House of Representatives to introduce legislation to extend telehealth flexibilities for Medicare beneficiaries. This bill aims to permanently end the geographic restrictions for certain telehealth services and allows rural health clinics to receive Medicare reimbursements for the services.
Moreover, “The Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024” aims to accommodate Medicare beneficiaries that lack internet connectivity by adding an audio-only telehealth coverage. In a bid to either expand or more closely regulate telehealth accessibility, nine state legislatures have acted on bills in recent sessions.
Expansion measures include services provided by numerous healthcare professionals and practitioners in several states. On the flip side, Florida, Georgia, and Indiana have opted to tighten scrutiny of various telehealth practitioners, while seven other states have recently taken steps to reduce the licensing process burden for out-of-state care professionals.
At the national level, the popularity of telehealth has encouraged Congress to explore improved cost savings for taxpayers. This interest was evident during a March 12 hearing by the House Ways & Means Committee, where lawmakers sparred over whether some telemedicine visits should be reimbursed at a lower rate than in-person patient visits.
Where there are opportunities, there are also those eager to exploit them. Regrettably, telehealth is no exception. In a recent Florida case, a man pleaded guilty to a $110 million telemarketing scheme involving the distribution of medically unnecessary durable medical equipment. Further down in California, a physician was sentenced to 37 months in prison for illegally dispensing pills containing opioids and other controlled substances during telemedicine sessions without conducting necessary evaluations and identity verifications.