EDITORIAL: Make telemedicine pandemic reforms permanent

With the pandemic came the realization that many regulatory hurdles were unnecessary impediments to health and commerce, particularly rules against telemedicine. The public health ramifications of patients avoiding doctors’ offices for fear of the coronavirus were significant.

During virus lockdowns, many states and the federal government relaxed rules against virtual health consultations. But as the nation emerges from the pandemic, a debate has emerged over making such reforms permanent. The case against such a move is without merit. Policymakers can save money and improve health outcomes by fostering a market in which telehealth prospers.

Nevada lawmakers in 2015 passed legislation making telehealth legal as long the provider is licensed to practice in the state. The measure was, in part, recognition that virtual medicine in states such as Nevada — with wide open spaces and numerous small, rural communities — can be an important tool for addressing health care shortages in remote areas. The convenience of visiting a health care provider from the comfort of your own home also appeals to many urbanites.

Last week, a bipartisan group of senators — led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. —introduced the Protecting Rural Telehealth Act, intended to ensure that federal health care programs allow “rural and underserved community health care providers … to continue offering telehealth services after the current public health emergency ends,” according to a release announcing the bill’s introduction. The proposal would also allow audio-only telehealth appointments to accommodate those who lack access to a broadband connection.

“It should not have taken a pandemic for Medicare to finally unlock the potential of telehealth service,” Sen. Shaheen said, “and we now need to make sure that these vital telehealth services continue to be available to patients long after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.”

It’s true that not all medical issues lend themselves to a doctor teleconference. In-person visits remain vital to diagnosing and treating certain illnesses. But telemedicine can save money by limiting unnecessary office visits — many Nevada private insurance plans actively promote it — providing patient peace of mind, expanding access to health professionals and allowing patients to receive care without missing work or other obligations.

There isn’t much that Republicans and Democrats agree upon in Washington these days. But Sen. Shaheen’s bill has two Republican sponsors and several other GOP members in the upper chamber will no doubt endorse paring back bureaucratic barriers that limit options for patients. Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen should jump on board and help send this measure to President Joe Biden for his quick signature.