Telehealth at the Intersection of SDoH

Two years later, there are some changes to telehealth.

We all remember the day the locks were removed for telehealth to come flooding through the doors and into everyone’s household as a mechanism for healthcare delivery. In the darkness of the COVID pandemic, patients could have covered access to their physician from the comforts of their own home.  Prescriptions were electronically transferred to the pharmacy or delivered via mail order right to your door. The companies and options for services seemed overwhelmingly easy and we probably all wondered how long is this going to last?

While Medicare has agreed to continue telehealth approved coverage through December 2023, individual states may have already started putting in restrictions for when the public health emergency (PHE) ends. It will be important for hospitals and health systems to stay up to date with their state regulations. Key changes that are occurring across the country in various states, include the possibility for patients needing opioid management through drugs such as buprenorphine will be returning to in-person only visits. Also, depending on your state, patients would only be able to access telehealth services from in-state licensed providers or states that acknowledge reciprocity agreements for physicians. That means that a patient seeking medical care may have to go back to only seeing physicians within state lines and could no longer have a virtual visit with a physician in another state, unless that physician holds a license in the same state.  

 In Hawaii, House Bill 1980, is proposing limitations on audio-only visits with recommendations that audio-only services be used when all other options have been exhausted. We will have to see how that is going to be operationalized. Last month, CVS announced that they will no longer be accepting prescriptions for controlled substances from telehealth companies Cerebral and Done Health. The clash originated after the companies were criticized with concerns for over-prescribing controlled medications, such as Adderall.

Finally, in the growing abortion debate, telehealth companies that provide services to women across state lines and deliver mail order medication could significantly be restrained with the new abortion laws and the reversal of Roe vs. Wade.

So, what does this mean for the patient, not all telehealth is going away and at least for Medicare many options are still here to stay. However, the free for all that we once enjoyed of full access to any provider across the country via virtual means is going to be a little bit harder to access.

Programming Note: Listen to live reports on the social determinants of health every Monday on Monitor Mondays, 10 Easter.

References:

‘Untreated’: Patients with opioid addiction could soon lose access to virtual care – POLITICO

Telehealth licensing requirements and interstate compacts | Telehealth.HHS.gov

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Tiffany Ferguson, LMSW, CMAC, ACM

Tiffany Ferguson is CEO of Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., the care management company. Tiffany serves on the ACPA Observation Subcommittee. Tiffany is a contributor to RACmonitor, Case Management Monthly, and commentator for Finally Friday. After practicing as a hospital social worker, she went on to serve as Director of Case Management and quickly assumed responsibilities in system level leadership roles for Health and Care Management and c-level responsibility for a large employed medical group. Tiffany received her MSW at UCLA. She is a licensed social worker, ACM, and CMAC certified.

Related Stories

Leave a Reply

Please log in to your account to comment on this article.

Featured Webcasts

Leveraging the CERT: A New Coding and Billing Risk Assessment Plan

Leveraging the CERT: A New Coding and Billing Risk Assessment Plan

Frank Cohen shows you how to leverage the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing Program (CERT) to create your own internal coding and billing risk assessment plan, including granular identification of risk areas and prioritizing audit tasks and functions resulting in decreased claim submission errors, reduced risk of audit-related damages, and a smoother, more efficient reimbursement process from Medicare.

April 9, 2024
2024 Observation Services Billing: How to Get It Right

2024 Observation Services Billing: How to Get It Right

Dr. Ronald Hirsch presents an essential “A to Z” review of Observation, including proper use for Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and commercial payers. He addresses the correct use of Observation in medical patients and surgical patients, and how to deal with the billing of unnecessary Observation services, professional fee billing, and more.

March 21, 2024
Top-10 Compliance Risk Areas for Hospitals & Physicians in 2024: Get Ahead of Federal Audit Targets

Top-10 Compliance Risk Areas for Hospitals & Physicians in 2024: Get Ahead of Federal Audit Targets

Explore the top-10 federal audit targets for 2024 in our webcast, “Top-10 Compliance Risk Areas for Hospitals & Physicians in 2024: Get Ahead of Federal Audit Targets,” featuring Certified Compliance Officer Michael G. Calahan, PA, MBA. Gain insights and best practices to proactively address risks, enhance compliance, and ensure financial well-being for your healthcare facility or practice. Join us for a comprehensive guide to successfully navigating the federal audit landscape.

February 22, 2024
Mastering Healthcare Refunds: Navigating Compliance with Confidence

Mastering Healthcare Refunds: Navigating Compliance with Confidence

Join healthcare attorney David Glaser, as he debunks refund myths, clarifies compliance essentials, and empowers healthcare professionals to safeguard facility finances. Uncover the secrets behind when to refund and why it matters. Don’t miss this crucial insight into strategic refund management.

February 29, 2024
2024 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic Update Webcast Series

2024 ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Clinic Update Webcast Series

HIM coding expert, Kay Piper, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, reviews the guidance and updates coders and CDIs on important information in each of the AHA’s 2024 ICD-10-CM/PCS Quarterly Coding Clinics in easy-to-access on-demand webcasts, available shortly after each official publication.

April 15, 2024

Trending News

This Leap Year, celebrate success with a 29% discount one day ONLY! Use code LEAP24 on February 29th at checkout to unlock this offer! Click here to learn more.
It’s Heart Month! Use code HEART24 at checkout to receive 20% off your cardiology products. Click here to view our suite of Cardiology products!