Telemedicine use still up far above pre-pandemic levels

The Houston Chronicle (11/8, Wu) reports, “Telemedicine, once regarded as a niche in medical care, has moved into the mainstream.” Given that “the pandemic forced its widespread adoption during spring shutdowns, telemedicine has established itself as [a] vital tool for patients, particularly older ones and people with chronic illnesses that put them at high-risk of complications from COVID-19.” Although “use of telemedicine is down from its peaks in the spring, when up to 90% of non-emergency visits were conducted virtually,” use is “still far above pre-pandemic levels.” CMS “lifted restrictions on the federal insurance plans for the elderly and the poor to allow patients on Medicare and Medicaid to do telehealth visits,” but one expert “said digital literacy programs and financial support for low-income communities also are needed to make telemedicine accessible.”