Telehealth

Adolescents and young adults are facing elevated rates of mental health issues—and they're also struggling with access to the mental health care they urgently need. When young people express the need for professional help, they often encounter obstacles to seeing a therapist, such as prolonged wait times, limited local access to mental health providers, or financial barriers. In light of these barriers, young people turn to social media and digital mental health apps to attempt to fulfill their needs.

The record shows that Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) recipients regard using access to broadband as critical to their healthcare. A recent study found that 75% of ACP participants fear that losing access to ACP will result in losing access to healthcare. This is consistent with another large-scale survey found that 45% of adults believe that inadequate access to technology, including broadband and computers, is a barrier to telehealth, and this was especially prominent among rural residents and adults over the age of 65. That is, ACP

Michigan Medicaid patients need only Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's signature to be able to pay the same rates for telehealth as they do for in-person doctor's visits. HB 4580, sponsored by Rep. Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield, has already passed the Senate and House.

What is the economic benefit of the Affordable Connectivity Program to the health care system? In short, there are many ways that telehealth can reduce costs and improve outcomes.

Myrna Broncho realized just how necessary an internet connection can be after she broke her leg. Broncho needed nine surgeries and rehabilitation that took months.

Unlike in the past, internet connectivity isn’t a luxury—it’s as necessary as electricity. But currently, this critical lifeline for veterans hangs in the balance as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) approaches the end of its funding at the end of May. The ACP is a key factor in ensuring all veterans have connectivity, especially in rural areas. For many, the ACP can be life-saving.

The rapid transition to a digital front door of healthcare prompted by the pandemic made evident disparities in who had access to digital tools. Like other healthcare organizations, at the beginning of the pandemic, we found disparities in access to patient portals and video visits. Digital disparities are driven by multiple factors including lack of internet access, devices, language-adapted platforms as well as limited digital literacy.

The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health voted to pass a two-year Medicare telehealth extension along with other legislation that expands reimbursement for health tech. The sponsor of the telehealth extension bill, Rep Buddy Carter (R-GA), said he sees no obstacles to the telehealth extension passing the full committee, nor any significant issues for the Commerce and Ways and Means Committees to come to an agreement on a two-year telehealth extension.

Though telehealth has the potential to significantly expand healthcare access, social determinants of health (SDOH) challenges like housing insecurity can hinder this access, depriving already vulnerable populations of much-needed healthcare services.

Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Adrian Smith (R-NE)  introduced H.R. 8151, bipartisan legislation that would permanently expand the list of practitioners eligible who provide telehealth services to include qualified physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, and audiologists. Currently, these practitioners do not have permanent authorization to deliver electronic or virtual care to their patients. Families have come to rely on telehealth since the COVID-19 pandemic.