The Doctor Will Call Me Maybe: The Uncertain Future Of Audio-Only Visits And Why We Need Them To Address Disparities

Health Affairs March 3, 2021
Lori Uscher-Pines Maggie Jones Jessica Sousa Zach Predmore Allison Ober

Once a primary means of communication, audio-only, telephone calls seem increasingly obsolete to millions of Americans who text with their friends and Zoom with their colleagues. However, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of all types of telecommunications. Our recent research among federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) serving two million low-income patients in California demonstrated that audio-only health care visits were instrumental in maintaining access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, coverage for audio-only visits is likely temporary. Many payers including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are likely to stop reimbursing for most audio-only visits in coming months because of cost and quality concerns. This is a mistake. We are at risk of devaluing and prematurely...

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