Kaiser Health News (12/8, Appleby) reports on the “increasingly heated debate” regarding coverage for audio-only telehealth visits, an issue that “has drawn outsize interest from physician groups.” KHN adds, “Cutting off or reducing audio-only payments could lead providers to sharply curtail telehealth services, warn some physician groups and other experts,” while “other stakeholders, including employers who pay for health coverage, fear payment parity for audio-only telehealth visits could lead to overbilling.” AMA President-elect Jack Resneck Jr., M.D., said, “I take care of patients who drive from two or three hours away and live in places without broadband access. … For these patients, it’s important to have a backup when the video option doesn’t’ work.”
Related Links:
— “Post-Pandemic, What’s a Phone Call From Your Physician Worth? “Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News, December 8, 2021