FEATURE · TELEHEALTH
The American Telemedicine Association’s Ann Mond Johnson Looks
Forward into Telehealth’s Future Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the ATA, shares her perspectives on the current moment around telehealth in U.S. healthcare; she will share a keynote address at the Healthcare Innovation Summit in Nashville in September By Mark Hagland
A
t the forefront of advocating for tele- health-based patient care delivery, the Arlington, Va.-based American
Telemedicine Association (ATA) has been in the advocacy and communication trenches since it was formed in 1993. And the ATA was front and center last year, as the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in the early spring caused the leaders of patient care orga- nizations nationwide to kick remote care delivery into high gear for the first time. The ATA’s leaders were prepared for that moment, having spent many years work- ing to make telehealth an accepted—and reimbursed—mode of care delivery here in the United States. As the organization’s website notes, “As the only organization completely focused on accelerating the
technology solution providers and payers, as well as partner organizations and alli- ances. Together, we are working to advance industry adoption of telehealth and virtual care, promote responsible policy, advocate for government and market normalization, and provide education and resources to help integrate virtual care into emerging value-based delivery models.” What’s more, in July 2020, the associa- tion published its “ATA Policy Principles,” with the following introductory text: “The policy principles of the ATA are
rooted in its vision: we promote a health- care system where people have access to safe, effective and appropriate care when and where they need it, while enabling clinicians to do more good for more people. To address global challenges driven by ris-
technologies, federal and state health policy must be technology, modality, and site-neutral.”
And the principles are as follows: Photo by Dreamstime
adoption of telehealth, ATA is working to change the way the world thinks about healthcare. We are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to safe, effective, and appropriate care when and where they need it, enabling the system to do more good for more people. We represent a broad and inclusive member network of
ing healthcare costs, an aging population, variation in quality and outcomes, and an inadequate number of clinicians, the ATA advocates using technology to reimagine care and supports policy that ensures all people receive care where and when they need it. To effectively leverage and expand telehealth, digital health, and virtual care
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• Ensure Patient Choice, Access, and Satisfaction. The location of the patient receiving services or the clinician provid- ing them should not be arbitrarily lim- ited by geography and patients should be able to receive high-quality telehealth services anywhere, including the home. • Enhance Provider Autonomy. Tele- health plays an important role in deliv- ering care across the continuum. Federal and state policy should treat healthcare services delivered remotely no differently than services provided in-person. The modality used to deliver care should be determined by the clinician, in consulta- tion with the patient, and should meet the same standard of care as services provided in person. Telehealth should not be limited to any specific technology provided that it is safe, effective, appropriate, and able to be fully integrated into clinical workflows. • Expand Reimbursement to Incen- tivize 21st Century Virtual Care. Fed- eral and state health programs including Medicare and Medicaid should broadly cover and reimburse for all forms of tele- health. Private payers should compen- sate healthcare providers for delivering remote care. At the same time, a provider and healthcare plan should have the abil- ity to contractually agree to reimburse- ment rates for telehealth services based on market conditions and value-based payment models. All payers should ensure transparency and clarity when implementing reimbursement policy to reduce burden on healthcare providers. • Enable Healthcare Delivery Across State Lines. Adoption of interstate licen- sure compacts, flexibility for professional second opinions, and other related licen- sure portability policies ensure that clini- cians can treat patients safely across state lines. Policy barriers that impose undue administrative burden or restrictions
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