New York OKs Telehealth Coverage for Audio-Only Phone Services

New York has approved Medicaid and CHIP coverage for audio-only and video-only telehealth services, giving providers more opportunities to connect with patients for care.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo this week signed S.8416/A.10404 into law, following the state Legislature’s passage of this and roughly 30 other bills in late May. The bill was introduced as a means of expanding connected health services during the coronavirus pandemic, but the coverage will continue past the current state of emergency.

“As the crisis transforms-and often mandates-changes to the way the medical community interacts with patients and caregivers, both video and audio telemedicine have become integral components of the delivery of care,” the bill reads. “The law currently mandates that use of telemedicine include both audio and video services. However, we must recognize that many vulnerable residents in our underserved communities may not have access to video-enabled devices. This bill will amend the current law to allow the use of audio-only telemedicine services in order to ensure that patients in every corner of New York State have the ability to access care and speak with a medical professional remotely.”

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, federal and state regulators have passed a number of emergency measures aimed at expanding telehealth access and coverage during the emergency. One popular move was to enable healthcare providers and patients to collaborate on an audio-only phone, since many people lack access to the resources – technology, connectivity, money – needed for an audio-video telemedicine platform.

That lack of access won’t end when the pandemic ends, so state governments and Congress are now being lobbied to extend those telehealth freedoms indefinitely.

The New York bill adds “audio-only telephone communication” and “video-only telephone Communications” to the list of telehealth services covered by Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP) program, as determined by the state’s health commissioner.