The abrupt end of telemedicine coverage puts patients at risk

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, patients across America lost access to care they had the day before not because medicine changed, but because politics did.

When the government shut down, so did federal telemedicine flexibilities tied to pandemic-era waivers. These waivers allowed Medicare and many private insurers to reimburse virtual visits at parity with in-person care, across settings and sometimes across state lines. With the waivers lapsed, reimbursement is uncertain and in some cases discontinued.

In practice, that means clinics like mine don’t know if we can bill for telemedicine visits, whether patients will be stuck with surprise bills, or if we have to cancel visits altogether. I spent the morning trying to provide care in the exam room while simultaneously figuring out what to do for pa