How Private Insurers Are Expanding Telehealth Coverage
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Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. "This is the wave of the future,” says Christopher Regal, director of clinical innovation at America's Health Insurance Plans, who notes that while the current spikes in usage may come down, telehealth is likely to be incorporated more broadly going forward and that telemedicine “is reducing no-show rates at appointments due to convenience." AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > Other insurers, such as UnitedHealthcare, are waiving cost sharing only for virtual visits related to COVID-19 care. In some cases, a telemedicine visit is free as long as you see one of the insurer's virtual providers, who may be affiliated with a third-party telemedicine platform. Florida Blue, which is partnering with Teladoc, a telemedicine company, is offering free virtual visits for Medicare Advantage members. For some of those with other insurance coverage, the company will waive the virtual care copay if a Teladoc provider is used. While many of the cost-sharing waivers are temporary (some expire as early as Sept. 30), anytime soon. “Telemedicine will be here because we still need it,” says Kwong, “There will likely be some scaling back in terms of insurance coverage, but some states are making their policy changes permanent.” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. :
Six states expanded their coverage of telemedicine for a broad range of services, and six states expanded coverage for a limited number of services. For instance, Connecticut allowed additional providers to deliver care via telemedicine. They include dentists, genetic counselors and occupational and physical therapy assistants. In Arizona, the governor issued an executive order requiring health insurers to expand telemedicine coverage for all services that would normally be covered for an in-person visit until the public health emergency ends. In Rhode Island, health insurers must cover telemedicine visits for primary care, specialty care and behavioral health care. Fifteen states are waiving or limiting cost sharing for telemedicine services. Seven states are waiving cost sharing for COVID-19-related care, and eight states are waiving or limiting cost sharing for all services. In some cases, cost sharing is waived only for services provided by in-network providers. In New Hampshire, all insurers must cover medically necessary COVID-19-related treatment via telemedicine without requiring any copays, deductibles or coinsurance. In New York, insurance companies are required to waive copays for telemedicine visits related to COVID-19. Seventeen states — including Montana, New Hampshire and Washington — require insurers to reimburse doctors for telemedicine services at the same rate as in-person care. In Massachusetts, the governor ordered that all commercial insurers, self-insured plans and state health plans cover all clinically appropriate telemedicine services at the same rate as in-person care. Thirty-five states require expanded options for the delivery of telemedicine services, such as phone visits. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina — the largest insurer in the state — is covering phone and video visits at the same rate as in-person visits. Many of these mandates will expire at the end of the public health emergency, but several states recently made them permanent: In June, the governor of Idaho signed an executive order making permanent more than 150 rules related to telemedicine services. Among them: out-of-state providers can provide telemedicine services to Idaho residents. In July, New Hampshire made several telemedicine mandates permanent, including a requirement that private payers reimburse for telemedicine services on par with reimbursement for in-person services. The state also permanently expanded the types of providers who can deliver telemedicine to include physician assistants, psychologists and dentists, among others. In Ohio, home health and hospice aides, certain types of nurses in home health or hospice settings, dentists and behavioral health practitioners can use telemedicine on a permanent basis. In Colorado, insurers are prohibited from imposing a different maximum amount for telemedicine services; imposing limitations on audio or video technologies; imposing additional certification, location and training requirements as a condition for reimbursement; and requiring a patient to have an established relationship with a provider. More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS
Private Insurers Expand Telehealth Coverage
Which plans pay what — and how new state rules factor in
Tetra Images/Getty Images Over the past year, there's been an astounding 5,680 percent growth in telemedicine claims to private insurers, according to FAIR Health, a national, independent nonprofit group. The FAIR Health National Private Insurance Claims database, the nation's largest repository of private health insurance claims, shows that in March and April, private national spending on telemedicine services was nearly $4 billion, compared to less than $60 million for those two months in 2019.Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. "This is the wave of the future,” says Christopher Regal, director of clinical innovation at America's Health Insurance Plans, who notes that while the current spikes in usage may come down, telehealth is likely to be incorporated more broadly going forward and that telemedicine “is reducing no-show rates at appointments due to convenience." AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > Other insurers, such as UnitedHealthcare, are waiving cost sharing only for virtual visits related to COVID-19 care. In some cases, a telemedicine visit is free as long as you see one of the insurer's virtual providers, who may be affiliated with a third-party telemedicine platform. Florida Blue, which is partnering with Teladoc, a telemedicine company, is offering free virtual visits for Medicare Advantage members. For some of those with other insurance coverage, the company will waive the virtual care copay if a Teladoc provider is used. While many of the cost-sharing waivers are temporary (some expire as early as Sept. 30), anytime soon. “Telemedicine will be here because we still need it,” says Kwong, “There will likely be some scaling back in terms of insurance coverage, but some states are making their policy changes permanent.” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. :
Six states expanded their coverage of telemedicine for a broad range of services, and six states expanded coverage for a limited number of services. For instance, Connecticut allowed additional providers to deliver care via telemedicine. They include dentists, genetic counselors and occupational and physical therapy assistants. In Arizona, the governor issued an executive order requiring health insurers to expand telemedicine coverage for all services that would normally be covered for an in-person visit until the public health emergency ends. In Rhode Island, health insurers must cover telemedicine visits for primary care, specialty care and behavioral health care. Fifteen states are waiving or limiting cost sharing for telemedicine services. Seven states are waiving cost sharing for COVID-19-related care, and eight states are waiving or limiting cost sharing for all services. In some cases, cost sharing is waived only for services provided by in-network providers. In New Hampshire, all insurers must cover medically necessary COVID-19-related treatment via telemedicine without requiring any copays, deductibles or coinsurance. In New York, insurance companies are required to waive copays for telemedicine visits related to COVID-19. Seventeen states — including Montana, New Hampshire and Washington — require insurers to reimburse doctors for telemedicine services at the same rate as in-person care. In Massachusetts, the governor ordered that all commercial insurers, self-insured plans and state health plans cover all clinically appropriate telemedicine services at the same rate as in-person care. Thirty-five states require expanded options for the delivery of telemedicine services, such as phone visits. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina — the largest insurer in the state — is covering phone and video visits at the same rate as in-person visits. Many of these mandates will expire at the end of the public health emergency, but several states recently made them permanent: In June, the governor of Idaho signed an executive order making permanent more than 150 rules related to telemedicine services. Among them: out-of-state providers can provide telemedicine services to Idaho residents. In July, New Hampshire made several telemedicine mandates permanent, including a requirement that private payers reimburse for telemedicine services on par with reimbursement for in-person services. The state also permanently expanded the types of providers who can deliver telemedicine to include physician assistants, psychologists and dentists, among others. In Ohio, home health and hospice aides, certain types of nurses in home health or hospice settings, dentists and behavioral health practitioners can use telemedicine on a permanent basis. In Colorado, insurers are prohibited from imposing a different maximum amount for telemedicine services; imposing limitations on audio or video technologies; imposing additional certification, location and training requirements as a condition for reimbursement; and requiring a patient to have an established relationship with a provider. More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS