[The following is a paid advertisement.]
Visiting a healthcare professional can be consequential: Cancer is diagnosed, patients are supported as they manage chronic conditions, and services and treatment are delivered to support mental health. During the pandemic, accessing healthcare in person was difficult, especially early on when non-emergent care was put on hold.
Telehealth saved the day, offering a safe option for Illinoisans to continue needed care. A recent editorial in the Chicago Tribune identified telehealth as one of a handful of pandemic-related changes that caused “the public and elected officials to reconsider some of the laws and regulations that had long been taken for granted.” Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers all began fairly reimbursing healthcare professionals for telehealth visits recognition of telehealth’s integral role in healthcare.
Telehealth: How the Pandemic Is Shaping the Future of Remote Healthcare | McGuireWoods LLP jdsupra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jdsupra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CHICAGO A new coalition, composed of more than 30 leading health-care and patient-advocate groups across Illinois, is supporting bipartisan legislation that would reduce barriers to virtual health care for residents. Danny Chun, spokesperson for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, which is a member of the Coalition to Protect Telehealth, pointed out while COVID-19 has highlighted the need for virtual health care, there have always been barriers to in-person visits. "Such as lack of transportation, geographic distance from a provider, especially in rural areas of Illinois, not wanting to take a day off from work and losing your wages," Chun outlined. " .
February 24, 2021 05:15 AM
Illinois bill would make telehealth payment parity permanent • Community First nurses demand safety protections following federal investigation • Medical college nears accreditation
Crain s Health Pulse is your source for actionable, exclusive and inside news on the health care industry.
Getty Images
TELEHEALTH COVERAGE BILL INTRODUCED: Lawmakers, providers and insurers are looking at the future of telehealth in a post-pandemic world and how the rapidly growing service will be covered by insurance.
State Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Elmhurst) has introduced Illinois HB 3498, which would require insurers to cover telehealth services at the same rate as in-person care after the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also prohibits geographic or facility restrictions on telehealth services and allows patients to be treated via telehealth in their home. Similar legislation introduced in May died in committee.