OBJECTIVE
To assess current payment practice for telerehabilitation in state Medicaid programs.
DESIGN
Telephone survey.
SETTING
State Medicaid programs.
PARTICIPANTS
State Medicaid directors.
INTERVENTIONS
Not applicable.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Descriptive.
RESULTS
Half of the 35 state Medicaid programs contacted reimbursed at least some telemedicine services other than radiology in 2002. The primary reason for reimbursing for telemedicine is to make services available when there is no local practitioner. Consultation and evaluation and management services were most likely to be reimbursed (12 states). Seven state programs reimbursed telepsychology, and 4 states reported reimbursing for telespeech and language pathology, physical therapy, or occupational therapy.
CONCLUSIONS
Telemedicine helps Medicaid programs deliver specialized care to locations with provider shortages. Telerehabilitation is not yet widespread, despite its potential benefit to people with disabilities who cannot travel to a clinic for rehabilitation therapy. Most Medicaid programs calculate the financial costs and patient benefits when considering payment policies, and about half of states require a state law to allow payment for telerehabilitation. Minnesota, Hawaii, and Nebraska, among the responding states, currently reimburse for telerehabilitation. Research is needed to evaluate the appropriateness of telerehabilitation for Medicaid beneficiaries.
[1]
L. Schopp,et al.
Multidimensional telecare strategies for rural residents with brain injury
,
2000,
Journal of telemedicine and telecare.
[2]
S E Palsbo,et al.
Telerehabilitation: managed care's new opportunity.
,
2000,
Managed care quarterly.
[3]
O. Amir,et al.
Public information services in the field of communication disorders: comparison between teleservice and E-service.
,
2002,
Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association.
[4]
Kim Sydow Campbell,et al.
Organizational Learning, Diffusion of Innovation, and International Collaboration in Telemedicine
,
2003,
Health care management review.
[5]
J. Bleiberg,et al.
Self-regulation training for chronic pain: can it be done effectively by telemedicine?
,
2002,
Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association.
[6]
Susan X. Day,et al.
Psychotherapy Using Distance Technology: A Comparison of Face-to-Face, Video, and Audio Treatment
,
2002
.
[7]
D. Gammon,et al.
Psychotherapy supervision conducted by videoconferencing: a qualitative study of users’ experiences
,
1998,
Journal of telemedicine and telecare.