A New Normal for Telehealth Requires Reimbursement and Benefit Design

Telehealth is the new normal as providers have invested in the technology to make it happen during COVID-19, but how much of its use continues past the pandemic depends on continuing government flexibility and in-person reimbursement levels and what insurers include in their health plans for 2021.

During the Advisory Board's weekly COVID-19 Update, Rachel Sokol, who leads the research team for the Health Plan Advisory Council, said 2021 would be the pivotal year in looking at what health plans offer for telehealth benefits and how provider groups are thinking moving forward, whether they are fully invested or would prefer to return to the in-person model.