POLI 330N Week 7 Assignment: Final Project – Policy Issue

POLI 330N Week 7 Assignment: Final Project – Policy Issue

Student Name

Chamberlain University

POLI-330: Political Science

Prof. Name:

Date

Concern or Problem – Telehealth Policy

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant weaknesses within healthcare systems, including gaps in infrastructure, disparities in care, and shortcomings in disaster preparedness (Chao et al., 2021). Patients with various conditions faced barriers to accessing necessary care, while healthcare providers, including nurses, struggled to deliver quality services across settings such as home-based, hospice, and community care (Johnston et al., 2021). Telehealth emerged as a promising alternative; however, existing telehealth policies present numerous challenges (Shaw et al., 2020). This paper seeks to examine telehealth policy issues and advocate for actionable recommendations to Congress. It highlights the importance of addressing these challenges to facilitate legislative changes for improving telehealth access and utilization.

Defining the Problem, Its Importance, and Urgency

Telehealth services in the United States, while effective during the COVID-19 pandemic, remain largely provisional (Shrank et al., 2021). For instance, the number of telehealth users surged from 1.7 million per week to 9 million but declined sharply post-pandemic (Shaw et al., 2020). Despite the willingness of patients to continue using these services, policies have not been established to make telehealth a permanent feature of the healthcare system.

This issue is particularly urgent in rural or remote areas, where approximately 42% of patients already face significant barriers to care (Wegermann et al., 2021). Without immediate intervention, healthcare access disparities and related health outcomes will likely worsen. Restricted access to care during the pandemic resulted in over 42,985 cases and 1,062 deaths related to opioid use disorders in rural North Carolina alone (Hughes et al., 2021). Furthermore, telehealth policies that restrict services to video-only platforms create additional barriers for patients lacking reliable internet access. Studies suggest that audio-based services could address this gap, as they are both cost-effective and accessible (Shaw et al., 2020).

Table 1: Challenges and Urgency of Telehealth Policy Reform

Analyzing the Problem

Making telehealth services permanent faces numerous challenges, including licensing barriers, policy gaps for audio services, and rising healthcare costs. Regulatory hurdles further impede the widespread adoption of telehealth. For example, over 30% of healthcare providers struggled to obtain telehealth licenses, leading to delayed care and increased mortality (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). To resolve these issues, policies must ease licensure requirements and eliminate restrictions imposed by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

The economic impact of telehealth is another pressing issue. With nearly 8.95 million uninsured individuals in the U.S. and healthcare costs rising annually by 5.5%, telehealth offers a cost-saving alternative (Shrank et al., 2021). For example, healthcare providers save $19 to $21 per telemedicine visit, while the system could save $32 billion annually by reducing avoidable ER visits (Fortune, 2021; UHG, 2021). These potential benefits highlight the need for permanent telehealth policies that address licensing, costs, and service accessibility.

Table 2: Key Issues in Telehealth Policy

Target Members of Congress for Lobbying

To advocate for telehealth policy reform, I propose engaging with Congress members Lauren Underwood, Cheri Bustos, Doris Matsui, and Mike Thompson. Lauren Underwood’s background as a nurse positions her as a strong advocate for improving healthcare access through telehealth (Underwood, 2021). Similarly, Cheri Bustos, known for her support of telehealth legislation, has demonstrated her commitment through her voting record and public statements (Bustos, 2021). Representatives Doris Matsui and Mike Thompson have also shown dedication to expanding telehealth services and addressing Medicare restrictions (Jercich, 2021).

Recommendations for Solving the Problem

To address telehealth policy challenges, the following recommendations are proposed:

1. Establish permanent telehealth policies to ensure equitable healthcare access in rural and underserved areas.
2. Remove FQHC restrictions to facilitate broader telehealth adoption.
3. Grant permanent telehealth licenses to healthcare practitioners across disciplines.
4. Expand telehealth services to include both video and audio options, accompanied by Medicaid subsidies and financial incentives for providers.

References

Buston, C. (2021). Bustos helps pass $8.3 billion coronavirus funding package – Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. https://bustos.house.gov/bustos-helps-pass-8-3-billion-coronavirus-funding-package/

Chao, G., Li, K., Zhu, Z., McCullough, J., Thompson, M., & Claflin, J. et al. (2021). Use of telehealth by surgical specialties during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2021.0979

Fortune. (2021). Telemedicine market size, share, growth & trends [2020-2027]. Fortunebusinessinsights.com. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/telemedicine-market-101067

Gajarawala, S., & Pelkowski, J. (2021). Telehealth benefits and barriers. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(2), 218-221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013

POLI 330N Week 7 Assignment: Final Project – Policy Issue

Hughes, P., Verrastro, G., Fusco, C., Wilson, C., & Ostrach, B. (2021). An examination of telehealth policy impacts on initial rural opioid use disorder treatment patterns during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The Journal of Rural Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12570

Jercich, K. (2021). In telehealth hearing, House committee weighs access against cost. Healthcare IT News. https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/telehealth-hearing-house-committee-weighs-access-against-cost

Johnston, R., Kobb, R., Marty, C., & McVeigh, P. (2021). VA video telehealth and training programs during the COVID-19 response. Telehealth and Medicine Today. https://doi.org/10.30953/tmt.v6.241

Shrank, W., DeParle, N., Gottlieb, S., Jain, S., Orszag, P., Powers, B., & Wilensky, G. (2021). Health costs and financing: challenges and strategies for a new administration. Health Affairs, 40(2), 235-242. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01560

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