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They should consider the patient populations that would benefit the most, where to invest in technology, analytics, and interoperability solutions, and which metrics will be most useful in evaluating success. Define an enterprise-wide virtual health strategy: Organizations should determine their overarching objectives and define where they fit in the evolving ecosystem.What are the next steps in expanding virtual health?īased on our research, health care organizations should consider the following steps as they enhance their virtual health capabilities: As we move past this crisis, many providers and health care stakeholders will likely push to continue the increased flexibility and payment for in-demand services such as routine follow-up visits related to chronic care or simple urgent care needs, especially if this crisis period yields promising practices and successful outcomes. Prior to COVID-19, some of our clients were already moving more of their behavioral/mental health services into the virtual space (this was one area where they were generally reimbursed). In an April 10 memo, the agency clarified that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and other organizations that submit diagnoses for risk-adjusted payment can submit diagnoses for risk adjustment that are from telehealth visits. Late last month, CMS expanded Medicare coverage of 85 new services that can be provided virtually. That door has since been opened much wider in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some services, such as tele-stroke and end-stage renal disease home dialysis services, were granted nationwide Medicare coverage-along with expanded coverage for remote patient monitoring. The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) started to open the door to virtual health services in late 2018 when it issued its final 2019 Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program. The organizations that can create a seamless experience for patients will likely be best positioned to thrive in the post-pandemic world.ĬOVID-19 has accelerated regulatory flexibility
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In response, health organizations should begin thinking about how to scale the virtual health capabilities that worked well and build on them. They are also likely to see continued demand for services that they have received virtually. As hospitals and health systems move from responding to the crisis to recovering from it, they may see an influx in demand from patients who had deferred non-essential services or had been reluctant to reach out to their physician.
However, as the crisis stabilizes, organizations might discover that patients and clinicians aren’t as forgiving of a system where the processes, platforms, and workflow are still being worked out. Patients and clinicians who have experienced the convenience of virtual health might not want to go back to a predominantly in-person model of care. Virtual health is emerging as a significant part of the health care delivery system. In just one month, the COVID-19 pandemic has potentially shortened that timeline significantly. Most of them predicted it could alter the landscape over the next 20 years. At the same time, most clinicians and patients have been forgiving because they recognize the uniqueness of the situation.īetween November 2019 and January of this year, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions collaborated with the ATA (American Telemedicine Association) to find out how health care executives expected virtual health might evolve in the future. In some cases, the technology might have been clunky and the processes not ideal because it had to be implemented and/or expanded too hastily. Some organizations expanded existing virtual health/telehealth programs while others launched new capabilities to connect patients to clinicians. Over the past several weeks, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take root around the country, many hospitals and health systems were able to quickly stand up the technology they needed to conduct virtual visits. By Bill Fera, principal, and Urvi Shah, senior manager, Deloitte Consulting LLP