Telehealth has become a critical lifeline for patients and providers across the country— especially in behavioral health, where virtual care has proven to deliver outcomes on par with in-person treatment. For the past four years, Medicare flexibilities have allowed for mental health care to be delivered remotely via video or audio platforms with no geographic restrictions and without an in-person visit requirement.
While the flexibilities govern only the federal Medicare program, private insurance companies often follow Medicare coverage policy, which amplifies the impact of the flexibilities.
“The biggest benefit…when it comes to behavioral health, is being able to access specialists and not being dependent on that specialist living in your geographic area…You can access specialists across state lines.” said Dr. Stephen Gillaspy, senior director of health and health care finance at the American Psychological Association.
Yet despite data supporting the safety and effectiveness of virtual behavioral health care, Congress has again left providers waiting for clarity as Medicare telehealth flexibilities are set to expire on Sept. 30.
“It makes it difficult to plan long term, because you’re worried about if the rug is going to be pulled out from under you,” said Michael Genovese, M.D., J.D., chief medical officer of behavioral health at Access TeleCare in an article for Behavioral Health Business. “It’s not only difficult for doctors and companies, it’s difficult for patients, because if you all of a sudden told a patient, ‘Hey, you can no longer do telehealth,’ some are going to say, ‘Well, then I can no longer get care.’”
The uncertainty leaves providers unable to make confident long-term decisions about staffing and infrastructure, despite strong bipartisan support for making telehealth a permanent fixture of U.S. health care.
Access TeleCare joins other leading organizations, including the American Telemedicine Association, American Hospital Association, American Psychological Association, and Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness in urging policymakers to extend the current flexibilities and work toward permanent policy that preserves telehealth access and protects patients.
📖 Read the full article from Behavioral Health Business (subscription required) here.
