Telehealth
Patients were cancelling their non-COVID-19 appointments to avoid the virus. The medical group went from six to 1,500 daily telehealth visits to tend to regular care needs.
CMS said it wanted to finalize some proposed policies before the MA and Part D bid deadlines on June 1 for the 2021 plan year.
'A comprehensive consumer-facing digital strategy built around telehealth will be a requirement for providers,' says Guidehouse Partner Dr. Chuck Peck.
The overall satisfaction score for commercial health plans was 719 on a 1,000-point scale, among the lowest of all industries evaluated by J.D. Power.
During the pandemic, health plans face a reduced ability to risk-adjust their members and close gaps in care.
The plan is available at a lower premium than standard PPO plans, and offers a specialist referral process.
Reimbursement levels will go back to pre-coronavirus levels when the pandemic ends, but Congress may be pressured to make lasting change.
Though mental health professionals say they're mostly pleased with the rapid shift to phone or video services, most plan to return to in-person care once the dangers from COVID-19 have subsided.
By the end of March, 33% of behavioral health claims for Optum members were for a telehealth visit, compared to 2% prior to COVID-19.
Recent data breaches in digital health platforms have raised awareness for privacy protection and questions over who is responsible.