Private Payer Reimbursement for Telemdicine Services in the U.S.

February 2006  | Whitten P, Buis L

Telemdicine Journal and E-Health 2007 Feb;13(1):15-23

Abstract
Telemedicine has garnered significant attention over the past decade as a solution to cost and access challenges facing healthcare. Yet, utilization rates for clinical services have not reached their full potential. One of the major barriers to the adoption of telemedicine technologies that has been cited in the literature is the lack of universal reimbursement from private payers. The purpose of this investigation was to capture a current picture of private payer reimbursement for telemedicine services in the United States. This current investigation was a follow-up to a survey conducted by the American Telemedicine Association and AMD Telemedicine in 2003. Data indicates that the United States is progressing toward more private reimbursement for telemedicine services, but at a disappointingly slow pace. While this investigation does suggest that we are making small improvements in private payer reimbursement, the change appears to be lag behind a pace needed to optimize telemedicine deployment. Without progress in the area of private payer reimbursement, we cannot expect to see the widespread adoption of telemedicine services.

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