Ensuring Long-Term Equitable Access to Telehealth in New York State, Opportunities and Challenges
This is an excerpt of a recent Manatt paper with support from New York Health Foundation. Click to read the full findings and recommendations.
Telehealth use spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, facilitated by state and federal policy change implemented in response to the public health emergency (PHE) declaration. Prior to and during the PHE, New York State removed restrictions to telehealth delivery and broadened its telehealth policies for Medicaid and state-regulated commercial plans to enable providers to deliver a comprehensive set of virtual health care services in a variety of settings. Although New York has been a national leader on telehealth, opportunities remain to strengthen and enshrine existing policies to ensure equitable access to telehealth for all residents.
Manatt authored a recent with the New York Health Foundation to (1) provide a comprehensive assessment of the post-PHE telehealth policy landscape in NYS; and (2) propose policy recommendations for NYS, informed by best practices, aimed at enhancing equitable access to telehealth.
The key policy recommendations for New York State described in the report include:
Policy Opportunity | Recommendation | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
Payment Parity for Video Visits | Implement permanent payment parity across all payors for video visits. | Promotes provider adoption, investment in telehealth and continued accessibility for patients. |
Permanent Payment Parity for Audio-Only Visits, Under Certain Circumstances | Implement payment parity for audio-only visits across all payors, adopting Medicaid-specific requirements governing use of the modality. | Ensures access to care for low-income populations that may not have access to video capabilities or available providers in their area. |
Equitable Reimbursement Parity for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) | Reimburse FQHCs licensed under at the full Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate for video and audio-only visits when both the provider and patient are located offsite. | Ensures accessibility for patients, promotes recruitment and retention of behavioral health providers, and sustainable financing for FQHCs. |
Cross-State Licensure | Adopt a NYS-specific approach to cross-state licensure such as licensure compacts, special licensure pathway, or exceptions. | Promotes continuity of care across state lines and addresses provider shortages. |
Click to read the full findings and recommendations.
The New York Health Foundation will host a live webinar with the authors to discuss this research and findings on Thursday, 6/25, at 1 p.m. Click to register.
