Resources & Reports

While the pandemic has increased support and attention around the role of telehealth in strengthening our health care system, the pandemic has also highlighted many remaining barriers and infrastructure issues that inherently inhibit telehealth’s continued growth and utilization. Those existing issues have subsequently increased the role of funding in telehealth policy. While federal lawmakers have yet to make substantial telehealth policy changes, there have been many recent investments that look to accelerate telehealth adoption and expand its reach to all communities.

CCHP’s September Newsletter is Here! This month’s topics include: August Policy Developments in CCHP’s Telehealth Policy Finder and Policy Trends Maps; Telehealth Improving Health Outcomes for Homeless Populations; Telehealth Certification Requirement on the Rise; CDC Research and Development Survey (RANDS) Shows Trends in Household Use of Telemedicine; Telehealth Adoption Improving Outlook for Independent Practices; Facebook Places Extra Restrictions on Telemedicine Advertising; Comparative Billing Report: Impact of the Public Health Emergency on Telehealth.

As emergency telehealth expansions have begun to expire one of the most pressing policy areas has become licensing and the state flexibilities that temporarily allow out-of-state providers to treat patients via telehealth during the pandemic regardless of location. It is now one of the number one issues CCHP receives policy questions about.

While telehealth policy has always varied by state, we have now entered into a new and confusing gray area as we phase out of pandemic-era policies, leaving many unsure what is still currently allowed and what will continue to be allowed via telehealth moving forward. Federally, not much has changed and since it has been indicated that the US public health emergency (PHE) will last through the end of the year most federal emergency flexibilities will remain in place through 2021. While there are many active bills and some proposed expansions under Medicare, it is still unknown what may end up as permanent telehealth policy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified many existing disparities within the United States health care system, including those related to clinical trial processes. The increased use of telehealth to improve access to care for all individuals may have the ability to decrease disparities in clinical trial research. According to a press release from Dr. Harsha Rajasimha, founder and CEO of Jeeva Informatics, a lack of diversity in clinical trial participants has been a long-standing issue, with some trials 80-90% white and underrepresenting communities of color, women, children, the LGBTQ+ community, and those that live in rural areas.