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Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School are taking part in an NIH-funded study to evaluate the use of telehealth in advance care planning for patients receiving home-based palliative care.

Telehealth can facilitate access to care, reduce risk for transmission of SARS-CoV-2, conserve scarce medical supplies, and reduce strain on health care capacity and facilities while supporting continuity of care.

During June 26–November 6, 2020, 30.2% of weekly health center visits occurred via telehealth. Telehealth visits declined as the number of new COVID-19 cases decreased but plateaued as the number of cases increased. Health centers in the South and rural areas consistently reported the lowest average percentage of weekly telehealth visits

The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute $10-$50 toward the purchase price.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Behavioral health — like other areas of health care — has changed significantly due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. It is now easier for mental health providers to offer and get reimbursed for telebehavioral health services. Telehealth can also make behavioral health services safer and more private and convenient for patients who can access care from their home.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, aided by a relaxation in federal telemedicine regulations, has ushered in a new era of virtual care. Physicians and patients have substantially increased their adoption and use of virtual care. According to one report, an estimated 1.6 million telemedicine visits were conducted early in the pandemic, between January and March 2020, representing approximately 50% more telemedicine visits than occurred in the same period in 2019.¹ Based on aggregated payer data covering 150 million privately insured individuals in the US, by April 2020 telemedicine visits accounted for 13% of all medical claims compared with 0.15% in April 2019, an 86-fold increase.

The American Hospital Association supports the elimination of geographic site restrictions and coverage for audio-only services, but it says more time is needed to study and set long-term telehealth reimbursement policy.