Telehealth Reimbursement during Coronavirus

Governor Lamont, Private insurance companies seem to use the excuse of “lower overhead” to reduce their reimbursement rates for telehealth vs in-person sessions, but this is just that - an excuse. The majority of providers who offer telehealth, do so as an additional offered service. We still have the same overhead costs, and this is clearly obvious to the executives that make these decisions, so they are able to increase their own outrageous compensation, while most of us have to see an exhausting number of clients to make a decent living. We’re hoping that you will require them to compensate telehealth services fairly. Thanks so much. Kyle White, LPC, ATR

Refer to Massachussets decree dated 3/15/20- easy to replicate and decree. Equal pay please. My bills remain the same. Husky is ethical and Paying the same rate, why not private insurers?

The fact that any company would put profits over people at any time is just wrong. Our insurance companies need to stop being greedy and start providing appropriate payments to medical facilities and stop overcharging consumers.

We continue to provide services to our clients and continue to have to pay the same overhead costs. The fact that we will be reimbursed at a lower rate for telehealth services devalues the work we do while making it a financial hardship as well.

Our business is suffering during this crisis so cutting our reimbursements is not fair. It may also force therapists to do face to face sessions in order to pay their bills.

We deserve to be paid our proper wages!!!!

The psychological services we deliver via telehealth are as important as in person, especially in these trying times.

Conducting telehealth psychotherapy sessions online requires additional considerations and a different kind of management of the practice that we have to learn. Please advocate for therapists across the state trying to serve increasingly stressed clients in every way that we can.

As therapists we provide an important function in our society. We are a piece of the puzzle that helps our society. In light of COVID-19 health crisis, we are forced to provide telehealth services. We are asking for our normal pay rates from insurance companies. We should not be shorted. We rly on that money to live.

Keep rates the same. The same service is being provided just a different format.

I am working hard to provide clients with mental health support at this time of crisis. Please ensure that insurance companies honor our work with no reductions in reimbursement. There are no changes in the service provided.

Please support all the work I do daily

I put 100% into each therapy session and still have the overhead of an office and electricity and phone and billing, only difference is no client in my office

Psychologist in Manchester CT

Should be no different for the time spent and the quality of care offered.

It is only fair for the providers to get paid the same rate for telehealth services as in person. It takes the same amount of work, time and energy. Thank you

Please have companies reimburse the same as face to face for telehealth.

Telehealth for mental health sessions should be paid at the same rate as in-person sessions. The provider is trained and licensed by the state to help clients/patients with mental health issues. There are many circumstances where the client/patient is unable to travel or cannot leave their home or lacks transportation or lives too far away. The COVID-19 crisis is just one example of this. The provider should be able to serve these clients/patients without being penalized by a lower reimbursement rate. The provider still has all the same business expenses for telehealth or in-person sessions as they still need an office and in addition must pay for HIPAA approved telehealth capability. Please increase the telehealth reimbursement rate to the current in-person rate. Thank you.

I take telamedicine as serious as being in my office. I am doing telamedicine due to the virus and still have the same overhead. With the stress and anxiety of the virus in addition to other mental health issues I am working even harder to help my clients

With President Trump's recent concern about suicide, mental health providers are needed NOW more than ever. A slash in our reimbursement rates at this point in our national crisis could force psychotherapists out of business at a time when we are allowing parity across state lines because we on the brink of a shortage of providers.