Looser rules in telehealth and digital health will persist. Just make it permanent already

The Healthcare industry has waited for almost 20 years for telehealth acceptance as a method of care delivery. There has been resistance from patients, providers, lack of consistent reimbursement, restrictive regulations, and clunky technology.

These past few months, the quintessential tipping point has been reached, with the coronavirus pandemic showing the advantage of telehealth. As face-to-face encounters in traditional care settings have shifted to telemedicine approaches, longstanding thinking about care delivery has shifted in an instant with healthcare providers reacting swiftly.

Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicated that the upcoming Medicare payment rule will include proposals detailing how reimbursement will be expanded for telehealth services. The agency’s annual physician fee schedule, expected to be published in July, will likely contain updates to Medicare payment rates, such as additional services to be added to the telehealth list.

Some changes will still require congressional action. Still, the trend toward telehealth appears to be inexorable. As of March 30, CMS added more than 100 healthcare services that can be delivered through telehealth technology. With Covid-19 putting much of the country in lockdown and providers unable to accommodate traditional…