The Affordable Care Act (ACA) encourages the use of telehealth services; however, the ACA only applies to select circumstances under Medicare. Medicaid coverage of telehealth remains a state-level decision, which leaves coverage varying from state to state.
In a new health policy brief in Health Affairs, Tony Yang, associate professor of health administration and policy, examines the ongoing changes that are influencing the expansion of teleheath services in the United States and the challenges in making telehealth an accepted health care option.
Yang explains the need for parity, or an equivalent treatment between in-person services and telehealth services, in order to take full advantage of telehealth’s benefits. Read the full brief.