In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telehealth services in the Medicaid program swiftly expanded, prompting questions about the effects of telehealth on access, quality, and cost, as well as what telehealth policies in the Medicaid program should look like after the public health emergency (PHE) concludes. This this session included a panel discussion with officials from three states:
- Chethan Bachireddy, Chief Medical Officer, Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
- Tracy Johnson, Medicaid Director, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
- Sara Salek, Chief Medical Officer, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System
Panelists described:
use of telehealth during the pandemic, including key lessons learned; considerations for post-pandemic telehealth policies, including how data are informing the decisions; and challenges to the use and adoption of telehealth in Medicaid and how these states are addressing them.