(The Center Square) – Trying to make it permanent, a North Carolina congressman and three others in Congress have filed legislation to extend telehealth services for federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
U.S. Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., is a practicing urologist, where home is rural eastern North Carolina. He was joined in the reintroduction by Reps. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., and Troy Nehls, R-Texas.
Medicare claims rendered by federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics soared to 35.9% in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic era. Millions in underserved communities got access to behavioral health and non-behavioral health services, a release says.
Beyond convenience, telehealth has produced cost savings for taxpayer and patient alike. A 2020 study from the National Library of Medicine found reduced costs in several countries that used telehealth. One instance in the U.S. found teledermatology practice
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