Dramatic Growth in Telehealth
Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, is the act of seeking virtual medical care by either telephone or video conferencing. It’s been around for several decades, but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telehealth for non-emergency medical care has skyrocketed as efforts have been made to keep both medical workers and patients safe from exposure to the coronavirus.
Many Americans are connecting with a doctor electronically for the first time, but the practice has been growing for the past few years as coverage for it has grown. In 2015, only 5% of doctors reported using telemedical services, but its use grew to 22% of doctors in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, telehealth grew 340% as more private insurers and Medicare cover it.
BlueCross Blue Shield Embraces Telehealth
After embracing the use of telehealth in various applications in recent years, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has announced that they will be the first major health insurer in the country to make a permanent commitment to its use. From mid-March to mid-May of this year, BCBS processed 50 times more telehealth claims compared to the same time last year.
As the state’s largest insurer, the announcement that BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is fully embracing telehealth indicates that the practice will continue to grow, with new applications that include in-network specialists such as occupational, physical and speech therapists, as well as ABA therapy and other behavioral health care.
If you haven’t used telehealth yet, chance are you will soon.
For questions or more information, please contact me. I cover the state of Tennessee and represent many health care providers.