TeleHealth Reimbursement: A key to Virtual Care Innovation
A new survey finds that TeleHealth reimbursement is critical for ensuring virtual care innovation and addressing healthcare staffing issues in primary care practices. According to a poll done by the Larry A. Green Center, primary care practices began relying on TeleHealth in mid-August in collaboration with the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC). Almost 64% of clinicians stated TeleHealth is critical to sustaining access to care. However, 41% of survey respondents are concerned that if pre-pandemic regulations are reinstated, their practice will not offer TeleHealth/telemedicine services. Almost 21% of practitioners said they had already limited their use of telemedicine due to reduced compensation. In the midst of a global epidemic, the country's regulations have fostered TeleHealth by permitting payment equity or higher reimbursement rates for TeleHealth. TeleHealth's rapid growth has a substantial impact on how public payers reimburse TeleHealth providers. However, several private insurers have relaxed their telemedicine reimbursement policies since the pandemic. Because of payment laws, changes in how public payers reimburse TeleHealth providers have emerged from the rapid rise of TeleHealth. However, TeleHealth reimbursement could be critical in fulfilling increased patient demand for virtual services and addressing primary care's most pressing concern during the pandemic: healthcare staffing.
It is a huge challenge to find skilled employees to address staffing concerns. About 21% of doctors said they couldn't locate other clinicians to fill open positions. The issues could be related to the financial health of primary care. According to a paper published in Health Affairs, primary care clinics had a $15 billion impact if the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020. When housing assistance orders were introduced, there was a considerable decrease in in-person visits. The financial costs of treating COVID-19 patients are still being felt by primary care practices more than a year after the pandemic began. Almost a third of those polled (32%) stated their practice's revenue has yet to return. These responders were also more likely to work in small practices. Only 30% of the practices were financially stable and profitable. According to the poll, primary care is long-lasting, but a lack of prompt action and support for primary care limits its ability to address rising population health demands. Government and non-government payers must work together to support the use of telemedicine in order to maintain patient access and practice capacity for care delivery.
List of TeleHealth Solution Requirements: For TeleHealth services, you will need a reliable TeleHealth software. Make sure to include the following features on your list of must-haves.
Affordable
Easy patient access
HIPAA Compliant
Eligibility
Quick appointment management
Integrates with your practice management and EHR systems
There are numerous TeleHealth providers with varying levels of performance. The features listed below will help you provide an improved TeleHealth experience that will allow your clinic to generate more cash.
Eligibility for TeleHealth Reimbursement: Many early enterprises experienced substantial cash flow concerns when TeleHealth first gained popularity. Converting internet visitors into billable engagements was first difficult. Reimbursement for digital visits is now required. If your TeleHealth supplier does not provide TeleHealth coding that interfaces with your practice management system, get rid of it as soon as feasible.
Easy Patient Access: You should be able to exceed expectations with the patient engagement site you will give. Make certain that the software you supply is simple for patients to use and has an appealing user interface. When analyzing the user experience of a possible TeleHealth service, look for technology that provides the following features.
Access with a single click or a tap: Allows patients to initiate a TeleHealth consultation with a single click or a tap.
Device agnostic: Improved user experience across all platforms (desktop, mobile, and tablet). Your patients should be able to reach you in your digital waiting area via a variety of ways.
Push Notifications: With this feature, you can quickly and easily notify patients that their appointment is about to begin or that the clinician has arrived in the waiting area. It will also enable you to communicate with your physician in between visits.
HIPAA Compliant: During the epidemic, several clinics used basic, free services like Zoom, Face Time, and Skype to quickly shift to a digital health model. While these services have their uses, they should not be used to
overshadow the need of a reliable and secure telemedicine solution. If your existing telemedicine platform isn't actively managing HIPAA compliance, it's time to look for a new one. Healthcare information technology organizations recognize the necessity of data security and can provide security solutions for both providers and patients. While TeleHealth technology might help you modernize your practice, patient safety should always come first. To Read More Visit: Telehealth Reimbursement