(Photo: Geber86/Getty Images)
Telehealth has undergone a radical transformation during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a little more than 14 months, it has evolved from a niche offering that allowed patients to see clinicians while keeping socially distant to becoming a big part of the future of healthcare.
Telehealth was a viable service before the pandemic, but it was reimbursed at lower rates than in-office visits. There were geographical restrictions that placed strict parameters on where a patient could access virtual healthcare services – as well as where a clinician could treat them. It was, in a word, limited.