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Telehealth Billing on the Rise: Will It Survive After the Pandemic

Telehealth Billing, Medical billing services, medical billing companies, Telehealth billing services, healthcare professionals

If one good thing came out of this pandemic, it is the rise of Telehealth services in primary care. Medical billing services had to modify their billing structure to include Telehealth billing services to their manual. As a result, they have to work for their client payments, in which their expertise is tested the most.

The boost in the Telehealth sector is not just an estimation but based on a data a report issued by HHS (The US Department of Health and Human Services).


Digging deeper into the analysis of this report shows us that Telehealth visits per week increased from 2,000 to 1.28 million. Moreover, Medicare spending in this sector went up from 0.1% to 43.5% from February to April 2020. Meanwhile, the in-person visits dropped significantly with a rise in mid-April to May 2020.


Since life is going back to what it was before the pandemic, we see a rise in in-person numbers and they are almost leveling up with the Telehealth visits. 


However, the rate is still lower than the situation we were in, mid-pandemic.


Reasons for Telehealth’s Popularity


The report suggests that the flexibilities offered by CMS have played a crucial part in simplifying access to Telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries. Especially, at a time when medical billing companies, healthcare professionals, payers and patients were afraid of virus transmission, Telehealth reflects as the smartest option.


Now, it is up to medical billing services to return with accurate reimbursements for their clients to complete the revenue cycle successfully.


Even while the in-person practice resumes, the demand for Telehealth remains uninterrupted. That suggests the vitality of technology incorporation in the healthcare industry today.


Doctors say that telemedicine is a commendable solution to treat patients in tough times and continue the cycle of revenue management. However, with the opening of clinics, patients return to in-person visits rather energetically. That is why we observe a certain amount of decline in telehealth consumption.


Generally, we see more seniors, older patients, and people with chronic illnesses for in-person visits. They also want to come in for a change; their routines thus far confined them to their homes.


The Impact of Technology over In-Person Visits


By analyzing the data from medical billing services, we see the results go in favor of Telehealth. There was a 60% to 70% drop in the regular in-person visits. The data from the drug market also supports the same trend, and healthcare leaders estimate that this trend is going to continue even after the pandemic.  


For instance, if the telehealth interaction was 9% before the pandemic, it went up to 51% during the epidemic. Afterward, it can still retain up to 21% of the healthcare space. (Source: HHS)


According to informal patient surveys, around 50% of them are willing to opt for telemedicine or video tools to communicate with their caregivers. Due to its popularity and ease of use, healthcare professionals demand more relaxation and lesser hurdles in Telehealth, but data from private insurance companies say otherwise.


Noticeably, Telehealth sees recognition in urban areas, where facilities are within physical reach, unlike the rural areas where we need it the most. The rate at which the COVID condition worsened in rural areas, Telehealth would have been their savior.


The fact of the matter is that we notice the number of medical facilities per thousand beneficiaries correlates with the efficiency of Telehealth services.

                                                                                                    

End


If the healthcare industry wants to revolutionize around Telehealth, it has to prioritize a structured framework of healthcare services. With state and federal authorities on its back, it is only going to thrive. Also, more investment in technology and Telehealth medical billing services are areas we should put our focus on.

 

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