As the US is in the midst of a social distancing movement in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the White House has announced additional coverage for telehealth services under Medicare. The announcement also launches plans to relax regulations on how doctors manage and share health information, allowing them to use personal phones for Telehealth. An administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated that the White House is undergoing a dramatic expansion of telehealth for 62 million Medicare beneficiaries.
Previously, Medicare benefits covering extensive telehealth options are only available to people in rural areas, however, following the White House announcements, all Medicare beneficiaries in all regions will have access to a wide range of services via telehealth, eliminating the need to leave home. The services can also be provided in a variety of settings including nursing homes, hospital outpatient departments, and more.
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