Millions of Americans used telehealth for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic and polling consistently shows that patients remain likely to use it in the future. A recent survey found that 63% of respondents who had used telehealth plan to increase their use even after the pandemic ends. The rapid rise in telehealth adoption was enabled by emergency regulatory suspensions at the federal level and in nearly all 50 states, but permanent reforms are necessary to unlock telehealth’s full potential.
In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would lend greater flexibility to healthcare providers, allowing the use of everyday communication platforms to provide telehealth services. Normally, providers must use HIPAA-compliant platforms which often require patients to acquire additional software or devices to access care. But throughout the pandemic, telehealth services have been available over popular apps including FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype.
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