photo by: Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector

Dorothy Hughes, an assistant professor with the University of Kansas School of Medicine, presents findings from a study indicating broad support among health care providers for telehealth services.

Topeka — The consensus among health professionals is that telehealth services have opened new avenues toward better patient outcomes across Kansas, but many providers fear the loss of current reimbursement rates could force them to cease these services.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Laura Kelly issued an executive order expanding access to telehealth by reducing regulations. Those changes included expanded reimbursement and payment parity through Medicaid for certain services.

On Wednesday, Dorothy Hughes, an assistant professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, presented findings from a study indicating health care providers’ broad support for telehealth and the flexibility allowed by these policy changes.

“Most of our respondents said that either they’re having some positive or very positive experiences with telehealth,” Hughes said. “We also asked about policy priorities going forward, and payment parity came out on top.”

The study, conducted by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund and the KU School of Medicine, showed widespread support from health care providers for opportunities provided by telehealth. It also indicated a need to continue payment parity.

Of the 231 providers who responded fully to the survey, more than 60% said decreasing geographic restrictions on care had somewhat of an impact or a significant impact on their ability to provide care. And 85.3% indicated that expanded reimbursement had a positive impact.

More than 60% said the reimbursement rate before COVID-19 did not cover costs. Amid altered pandemic restrictions, only 38% of providers reported telehealth reimbursement rates were worse than in-person rates.

In turn, 61.5% of respondents said payment parity was the top policy issue in ensuring the continued best use of telehealth.

“Telehealth is not intended to replace in-person care,” said David Jordan, CEO of United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. “However, payment parity was central to the ability to expand services, which is why providers in the survey highlighted that this is the top issue for them as they move forward and work to figure out sustainability and services.”

Providers partaking in the study expressed great interest in using telehealth services beyond the pandemic. Increased use of these services could push state legislators to consider requiring KanCare, the state’s Medicaid system, or private health insurance companies to reimburse at the same rate as in-person services.

Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican and chairwoman of the KanCare Oversight Committee, said payment parity would likely receive some pushback.

Legislators discussed a similar adjustment three years ago, but insurance companies complained. In 2018, the Legislature passed a telehealth bill mandating coverage parity, which requires insurers to provide the same level of insurance coverage for patient services but not payment parity.

“It’s a can of worms. When you open it, it explodes in this building,” Landwehr said. “I’m not discouraging, but it’s just not going to be a slam dunk because a survey said.”

Landwehr said the pandemic has forced the issue of telehealth into the spotlight. She said similar conversations were taking place among legislators on the Special Committee on Mental Health Modernization and Reform.

“COVID has also advanced a lot of positives, and telehealth happens to be one of them,” Landwehr said. “It was moving there, but it’s escalated now, so how do we deal with that?”

— Noah Taborda is a reporter for Kansas Reflector.