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CHQI is not the only organization to turn its focus towards the importance of measuring telemedicine outcomes – the industry as a whole echoes our sentiment.

Telehealth shows special promise to benefit patients, families and providers for treatment of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid addiction.

Last month, The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its plan to expand telehealth access and coverage in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. There’s good news for MA plans, their members and providers: plans will be able to expand telehealth access and coverage beginning with plan year 2020 under a final rule published on April 5, 2019.

Just as policy is changing at the federal level to allow – and even encourage – greater use of telehealth and telemedicine programs, states, too, have been active. A number of states are in the process of updating telehealth laws and regulations, modernizing definitions to keep pace with available technology and services and setting rules for providers and plans.

Recent policy changes by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have been designed to make telehealth services more broadly available to Medicare beneficiaries. The changes follow a Congressionally-mandated report highlighting how reimbursement restrictions limit telehealth use, and so requirements have been relaxed for the Medicare Fee-For-Service effective January 1, 2019. Policy changes are pending for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, effective for the 2020 plan year.