MedCity News
Providers watch legislation that would extend telehealth treatment for substance use
Temporary policy changes during the Covid-19 pandemic let people access substance use treatment over telehealth for the first time. Now, healthcare providers and policymakers are watching legislation that would allow patients to continue to access these services virtually.
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One effect of the sweeping regulatory changes during the Covid-19 pandemic is that more healthcare providers were able to provide telehealth treatment for substance use disorders. Now, stakeholders are watching closely to see if those changes will continue after the public health emergency ends.
As patients grappled with substance use during the pandemic, many clinics offering treatment programs closed. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation last July found that 12% of adults said they had increased alcohol consumption or substance use. More recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention esti