HJNO Jul/Aug 2020

42 JUL / AUG 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS COLUMN INSURANCE CONNECTIONS DURING COVID-19: TELEHEALTH ENABLES CARE DURING PANDEMIC The COVID-19 pandemic has had many far-reaching effects on the U.S. healthcare system, but one of the most impactful has been the increased adoption of telehealth. By the end of 2020, according to Forrester analysts, virtual healthcare visits are expected to reach one billion, compared to a pre-coronavirus prediction of 36 million for the year. In Louisiana, physicians who adopted telehealth technology because of the virus are finding it to be a valuable service that enables the delivery of quality care. The Telehealth Surge An American Medical Association (AMA) study released in February 2020 showed that physician adoption of tele- health doubled from 14 percent in 2016 to 28 percent in 2019. In spite of this growth, however, only one-third of inpatient hos- pitals and 45 percent of outpatient facili- ties offered telehealth solutions or services in 2019, according to Definitive Healthcare. Yet that was before the COVID-19 pan- demic. Current data indicates that since the rise of COVID-19, telehealth has surged as physicians adopt the technology to ensure their patients can still receive care while adhering to social distancing guidelines. An April 2020 Arizton report estimates the U.S. telehealth market will experience an 80 percent year-over-year increase be- cause of COVID-19. The report further es- timates that as much as 76 percent of U.S. hospitals are now connecting with patients remotely via telehealth, including audio, video, and chat functions. These estimations come as no sur- prise to Dr. Stephen Sanches, a physician with Red Stick Pediatrics in Baton Rouge. Though Red Stick Pediatrics had been con- sidering telehealth prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus drove the final de- cision to move forward with adoption, Sanches said. “It was a modality that we were consid- ering prior to COVID-19, but there were several obstacles to overcome, the biggest was the variability in insurance coverage for the services. However, once the need to keep people at home as much as pos- sible took effect, the insurers got on board and covered the services offered. Patient demand for these services has obviously increased dramatically to avoid unneeded trips out of the house,” he explained. The story is much the same at Southeast Community Health Systems, according to Dr. Carol Patin, Chief Medical Officer. “Although we had been talking about “To those who plan on practicing for the foreseeable future, telemedicine is here to stay. Start planning now for your patients’ future.” – Carol Patin, MD