Verma Pushing For Expanded Telehealth Access Once COVID-19 Pandemic Has Been Tackled
- June 10, 2020
STAT (6/9) reports that on Tuesday, CMS Administrator Seema Verma said “expanded access to telemedicine should continue after the coronavirus pandemic recedes and that officials are examining ways to act without waiting for legislation from Congress.” Verma is quoted as saying, “I can’t imagine going back. ... People recognize the value of this, so it seems like it would not be a good thing to force our beneficiaries to go back to in-person visits.” The article says these “were Verma’s most forcible remarks to date on the need to preserve access to telemedicine following the outbreak. During the past three months, virtual visits have increased more than 40-fold in some parts of the country.”