Telehealth changes coming to Georgia Medicare recipients
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced changes to telehealth coverage under Medicare.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, extended telehealth coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the protocol changes became permanent, but others were temporary and will end on Dec. 31, 2024.
Georgia Access insurance enrollment deadline extended to Friday
There’s good news for Georgia families who still need health benefits. The deadline to enroll in Georgia’s newest health insurance has been extended.
People on Medicare — those over 65 or those younger with disabilities or conditions — won’t be able to schedule certain telehealth visits, including physical therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
Close to two-million Georgians are Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare is the second largest federal program, behind Social Security, totaling $839 billion.
Dr. Cecil Bennett said it will cost more in the long run.
“Seniors need physical therapy. You can imagine that with physical therapy, you usually have to go once, twice, or three times a week. Someone who has immobility. Someone who doesn’t have access to transportation, that’s going to be hard,” said Bennett.
Recently, Bennett was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to the Georgia Board of Healthcare Workforce. He acknowledges there is a shortage of medical professionals practicing in rural parts of the state. He said without that one visit to the physical therapist, a fall could be deadly.
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“There’s a rule of thirds. When it comes to hip fractures: one third recover, one third are permanently disabled and one third die,” said Bennett.
Jessica Wagner with RXNT, a healthcare software company, is concerned that patients could forgo or push off care.
“We’re going, we’re going to see a huge drop in accessibility, particularly for rural Americans who have a hard time getting to the doctor’s office. They end up in an emergency room and they oftentimes end up in a worse situation than if they had just seen a provider to begin with,” said Wagner.
The Department of Health and Human Services will continue to cover primary care and mental health telehealth visits.
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