How Can Telemedicine Evolve in the Post-Covid Era

Pre-pandemic, most use of telehealth involved patients engaging with clinicians they would never see in person and likely never follow-up with again.

Options for contacting a clinician, how to pay for their care, and what a patient encounters when they arrive at an office will all matter more than ever. Two things will become more important: (A) virtual introductory options to recruit new patients; (B) and direct pay options.

Payment models will also vary — while CMS will cover telehealth visits at parity in 2021 and beyond, commercial insurers and self-insured employers may not. The variety in benefit designs and copay and deductible levels ensures that reimbursement and ability to pay will vary extensively for commercially insured patients.