Telemedicine Reimbursement Changes and Health Care Contact Days for Older Adults

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Telemedicine significantly reduced care burdens for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, with up to 50% of Medicare beneficiaries utilizing these services.
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Post-pandemic, many older adults prefer continued telemedicine use, which alleviates travel and time burdens associated with in-person care.
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The ongoing Medicare reimbursement for telemedicine relies on temporary waivers, posing a risk of abrupt service coverage termination.
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A study using the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey aims to assess the impact of telemedicine waiver expiration on healthcare access for older adults.
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The research will evaluate how many additional in-person care days older adults would face if telemedicine services were no longer available.

Jama Network Open

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