The ACR is advocating with commercial payers to continue supporting patient access to telemedicine as a tool to improve care for patients with rheumatic diseases.
The Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) of the ACR’s Committee on Rheumatologic Care recently sent a letter to commercial payers advocating for continued coverage for telemedicine, including reimbursement parity, after the end of the declared public health emergency (PHE). Maintaining coverage for both audio-visual and audio-only visits will help increase access to care for patients with rheumatic diseases. Payers were also sent a copy of the ACR’s updated telemedicine position statement, which details the ACR’s support of the role of telemedicine in increasing access and improving patient care and highlights challenges and opportunities for telemedicine in the post-PHE landscape.
The ACR also had the opportunity recently to talk with several payers, including Anthem and UnitedHealthcare, and share more in-depth feedback on the use of telemedicine in rheumatology practices. We look forward to continuing these important conversations with additional payers.
For questions or more information on ACR’s commercial payer advocacy efforts, contact [email protected].
