![]() 7 As part of this newly granted permission, most Medicare payment requirements were waived and recipients were able to access remote care, regardless of where they live. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sweepingly approved the use of telehealth services as part of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. Yet, in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Trump administration and the U.S. Embroiled in decades-old debates over its effectiveness in providing patient care, telehealth has also faced other obstacles to its adoption and use, including licensure, reimbursement, and eligible services. While the search for a global vaccination to cure the disease is in process, the stress on medical providers and hospitals prompted a historic move toward the authorization and adoption of telehealth services. Beyond the U.S., negative health outcomes of COVID-19 have debilitated entire countries from China to Italy and more, bringing devastating mortality rates. Medical institutions and providers were impacted by the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), insufficient patient testing, and institutional stresses in the care of infected persons. In March 2020, the entire health-care system-from hospitals to medical practitioners to first responders-was further challenged by the rapid and mass spread of the novel coronavirus and its associated disease, COVID-19. 5 Rural communities are also impacted by the lack of proximity to local medical facilities and providers. Among people of color, health disparities have been extensively documented, largely due to pre-existing medical or chronic conditions, including those affecting the more aged in this population. 4 While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to close the uninsured gap, immediate and affordable access to health care was not always available, especially for certain populations. 3 Time, another cornerstone of cost and quality, is yet another category where American health care falls short it typically takes two hours to see a doctor for 20 minutes in most communities. 2 Under current laws, national health spending is projected to grow at a rate of 5.5% per year between 2018-2027. 1 In 2018, national health expenditures grew to $3.6 trillion and accounted for 17.7% of GDP. A combination of escalating costs, an aging population, and rising chronic health-care conditions that account for 75% of the nation’s health-care costs paint a bleak picture of the current state of American health care. ![]()
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