Access to health care has long been a major concern for many Americans. Did the pandemic change that? It’s complicated. But we have every cause to believe that the difficult experience of the past year will shape the future of U.S. health care in several positive ways.
Telehealth took center stage during the pandemic. The technology has been around for years, but it was inconvenient and unnatural, not least because its spread was hampered by regulations, including narrow definitions of what qualified, location restrictions, and limited reimbursement procedures.
During the pandemic, regulations were relaxed, putting providers just a phone call away and allowing programs like Medicare to reimburse providers for those encounters. For many patients stuck at home, telehealth was the only way to get a new prescription or see a doctor. A fringe option became the norm.
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