Telehealth shouldn’t make health care more expensive.
Government mandates that aren’t evidence-based will make telehealth more expensive and less accessible for consumers. Telehealth coverage should be market-driven and improve affordability, access and outcomes. Mandates like those in HB 149 will result in over-treatment and financial waste, ultimately driving up costs for patients. Blue Cross NC has covered telehealth for more than two decades, and will continue to do so, with the goal of maximizing access and cost savings. Download the PDF to learn more about how coverage parity mandates could have negative impacts on health outcomes, costs and access for all North Carolinians.
Additional Telehealth Articles.
- USING HIGH-TECH AND HIGH-TOUCH TO SIMPLIFY HEALTH CARE
- BENEFITS OF TELEHEALTH
- INFOGRAPHIC: TELEHEALTH OPTIONS EXPLAINED
- THE EVOLVING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE
- WHAT IS TELEHEALTH? DOCTORS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT VIRTUAL CARE.
- NO TIME TO VISIT A DOCTOR? NOT A PROBLEM WITH TELEHEALTH
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) supports a long-term telehealth strategy driven by affordability, access and outcomes.
For the last two decades, Blue Cross NC has covered telehealth to lower costs, increase access and improve health for our members. From its inception through COVID-19, this innovative tool has proven to be a vital part of medical workflow, ensuring patients receive the care they need.
After the pandemic recedes, there is no question if we will cover telehealth. However, mandates around coverage parity will limit the opportunities that patients, providers and payers have to create the right telehealth policy. House Bill 149: Improving Access to Care Through Telehealth attempts to establish a one-size-fits-all solution that will be counterproductive to improving health outcomes and lowering health care costs. To care for and best serve all North Carolinians, telehealth policies must be evidence-based and flexible.
The post The Future of Telehealth Requires Flexibility and Data-driven Solutions appeared first on Point of Blue.
