Health Care News Podcast

Telehealth soared in popularity soon after Medicare started covering telehealth claims during the pandemic. There is a five-month time limit on reimbursing claims after the pandemic emergency declaration ends, which is now expected after the mid-term election. Before making reimbursements permanent, Josh Gordon, Ph.D., Director of the Health Policy Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, recommends putting guard rails in place to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of telehealth claims, especially in a fee-for-service model such as Medicare. Congress will also have to reconsider pay parity, since telehealth should cost less than a physical visit.To most, telehealth is relatively a new phenomenon. Before the pandemic, Medicare barely covered it. First, Medicare patients had to be living in an underserved rural area. If they did receive a telehealth visit, it had to be done at an approved health care facility. When the pandemic hit, and states instituted lock downs, telehealth was a saving grace because it was