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States reported multiple challenges with using telehealth to provide behavioral health services to Medicaid enrollees
States reported multiple challenges with using telehealth to provide behavioral health services to Medicaid enrollees
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Data brief (United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General)
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Office of Evaluation and Inspections, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, D.C. : U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, September 2021
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Computer User Training -- economics
Government Regulation
Internet Access -- economics
Medicaid -- economics
Mental Health Services -- organization & administration
Telemedicine -- organization & administration
United States
United States. Department of Health and Human Services
United States. - Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Why OIG Did This Review. States are increasingly relying on telehealth to provide behavioral health services to Medicaid enrollees. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth was an important tool for States to increase access to behavioral health services for enrollees in rural or underserved areas with provider shortages. During the COVID-19 pandemic, States expanded their use of telehealth to help meet the needs of enrollees while also reducing the risks from community spread of the virus. As the Nation confronts the psychological and emotional impact of COVID-19, the use of telehealth will be important in addressing behavioral health needs for Medicaid enrollees. This data brief provides insight into States’ challenges as reported in January and February 2020, before the expansion of telehealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides a useful foundation for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and States by highlighting longstanding challenges with the use of telehealth that existed prior to the additional challenges caused by the pandemic. Understanding States’ challenges with using telehealth to provide behavioral health services can help States improve their Medicaid program and assist enrollees with accessing needed care. Further, States’ expansion of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic has been largely on a temporary basis. As States consider making telehealth expansions permanent, they can use information in this data brief to develop effective programs and troubleshoot challenges in implementation. This data brief is a companion report to a data brief that describes the extent to which States evaluate the effects of telehealth on access, cost, and quality of behavioral health services and the extent to which States oversee telehealth for fraud, waste, and abuse.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (21 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918383986406676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918383986406676