Epstein Becker Green’s Telemental Health Laws app was featured in mHealthIntelligence, in “Reimbursement Barriers Still Plague Telemental Health Expansion,” by Eric Wicklund. Amy Lerman, Daniel Kim, Francesca Ozinal, and James Tam, attorneys in the firm’s Health Care and Life Science practice, were also quoted in the article.
Following is an excerpt:
Federal and state efforts to boost telemental health may be blossoming – in particular for students, seniors and veterans – but “a lack of meaningful coverage and reimbursement rules” means the telemedicine specialty is still struggling for sustainability.
That’s the opinion of national law firm Epstein Becker & Green in their 2018 Telemental Health Laws survey, an update of the firm’s landmark 2016 report on state telehealth laws, regulations, and policies for mental and behavioral health.
“Telehealth is a proactive solution for patients who need quality care from health care providers who may not be located close by or require real-time or after-hours care,” Amy Lerman, a member of the law firm’s Health Care and Life Sciences practice, said in a press release accompanying the survey. “As access to this method of care expands, it also opens the door for various subsets of medicine, including behavioral and telemental health. We are excited to find that it is still evolving, growing, and improving Americans’ quality of life, and we will continue to keep a pulse on the industry to ensure that we capitalize on telehealth opportunities while maintaining compliance with applicable laws.”
And while the law firm’s cadre of telehealth experts finds a lot to like in new connected health programs and policies, they still see significant barriers in how these programs are supported. …
Putting the gloominess aside, Lerman and fellow EB&G attorneys Daniel Kim, Francesca Ozinal and James Tam say the future remains bright for telemental health, in particular because so many people need it.
“(P)ublic recognition of the benefits of utilizing telehealth technology to provide greater access to healthcare services has significantly increased,” they pointed out in an overview of the report. “While the shortage of behavioral health providers has long been acknowledged, the growing use of telehealth technologies as a strategy to increase access to psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, therapists and other behavioral health professionals continues to gain attention and validation as an alternative model of care delivery.”
