The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has required health care systems to rethink the delivery of care.

However, one of the most remarkable ongoing changes has been the accelerated expansion of telehealth healthcare. The below rundown describes some of the most critical telehealth regulatory changes in response to COVID-19:

Growing Interest

Telehealth has accounted for more than 40% of primary care visits for patients with traditional Medicare in the depths of the coronavirus shutdown. According to the government’s flagship health care program, Medicare covers more than 60 million people worldwide.

A recent survey of older adults by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation discovered that more than 7 in 10 are interested in using telehealth for their doctor’s follow-ups. It means that nearly 2 out of 3 feel comfortable with video conferences.

However, when concerned with privacy policies, the Teledoc Health Plan aims to provide:

• Medical devices and wearables security
• Identity management and external device authentication
• Telemedicine security monitoring and behavioral analysis
• Development, security, and operations (DevSecOps)
• Telemedicine security training and awareness

Make Care more Convenient

It is easy to connect with a doctor by phone or video conferences and get care the same day. Doctors can diagnose, treat, and prescribe medicine for common conditions like the flu, sinus infections, etc. So, wherever you would be, you would have someone to listen, answer questions, and help you feel good faster.

Insurance Coverage

Under the coronavirus emergency, the administration temporarily waived Medicare’s restrictions. Therefore, patients could connect from home. However, the payment will be easy for users. Expanded telehealth healthcare could:

• Stay together in moving the nation closer to a long-sought goal of treating mental health the same as physical conditions. According to IQVIA data, 60% of psychiatric consults took place by telehealth during the shutdown.
• Increase access for people living in low-income urban areas, in remote communities, as well as nursing homes.
• Improve coordination of healthcare for people with chronic health conditions, a goal that requires patient and persistent monitoring. However, chronic care accounts for most program spending.

Heightened Data Privacy Laws

Many people are shifting to remote care in this pandemic. Also, with the simultaneous spike in cybercrime, regulators are poised to strengthen personal information protection.

Therefore, expect data privacy and security laws to return to normal following the pandemic. Accordingly, prepare for potentially more stringent privacy laws to follow. With that in mind, providers should:

Amend business associate agreements with vendors who have access to protect healthcare information. Additionally, ensure protections for breaches and security incidents — including reporting obligations, strong indemnification, and cyber liability coverage. Use interoperability of platforms and connected devices with electronic health record systems. Conduct a complete security risk assessment of IT systems and evaluate the security controls of telehealth technologies. Vendor HIPAA compliance. When opting for a teledoc health plan, connect with us to compare different telehealth plans.