Telehealth Reimbursements 2014: Medicaid

In a field defined by change, the Medicaid telehealth landscape offers the most. In 2013, total U.S. health care spending was $2.9 trillion, and Medicaid accounted for 15% of that spending (see National Health Expenditures 2013 Highlights). What does telehealth coverage look like for Medicaid?

First for a little history – in 1998, states were given the option of paying for telehealth with Medicaid, which means practitioners need to navigate the varying state services. CMS provides Medicaid reimbursement for telemedicine services “at the state’s option, as a cost-effective alternative to the more traditional ways of providing medical . . .