Trump Wants Broader Role for Telehealth Services in Medicare

President Trump this week signed an executive order to grant telehealth services a larger role in Medicare, reports the Associated Press . The measure instructs the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, and the Federal Communications Commission, to collaborate on developing the infrastructure to support rural telehealth services. While the order specifically applies to rural beneficiaries, it serves as a call to Congress to move toward in making virtual doctor visits a permanent Medicare fixture for all enrollees. The directive also will advance an experiment in which hospitals in rural communities could receive a more predictable flow of Medicare payments in return for delivering improved performance on certain measures of quality. "In an earlier age, doctors commonly made house calls, said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma. "Given how effectively and efficiently the health care system has adapted to the advent of telehealth, it's become increasingly clear that it is poised to resurrect that tradition in modern form."