Telemedicine keeps doctors and patients connected at a safe remove

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, few Americans had encountered telemedicine, but that is now changing swiftly, and the change may be permanent. As Mei Wa Kwang, executive director of the Public Health Institute’s Center for Connected Health Policy told the Washington Post, consumers use different terms for telehealth, but the  various terms all refer to health care provided by a professional in a non-face-to-face manner.

Kwang also notes that prior to the crisis, the limiting factor for adoption of telehealth had been that most people have little or no health coverage for video visits and doctors often have not been able to be paid for telehealth services. Emergency rule changes prompted by the pandemic are changing this, with Medicare, Medicaid and some private insurers changing their policies to adapt to new “social distancing” realities.

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Originally published by Washington Post