Telehealth has taken over the healthcare industry. Just a few short years ago when it was more of a novelty than actual healthcare service, such a statement might have been met with ridicule. That was, however, before the COVID-19 pandemic when a simple visit to the doctor’s office became a serious health risk. Providers were forced to adapt to these less than ideal circumstances, greatly accelerating the mass adoption of telehealth services.

Suddenly, telehealth is everywhere. In April 2020, at the very start of the pandemic, telehealth usage peaked at 78 times higher than it was in February. By Feb 2021 the usage rate had settled a bit; though not as astronomical an increase as 78 times, it was still a very respectable 38 times higher than pre-pandemic levels. This Report by McKinsey estimates that telehealth could be a quarter trillion-dollar industry in the near future.

The reasons behind this shift are clear. While the technology did exist pre-pandemic, it was still new and did not hold enough of a draw to convince providers that it was worth it. Insurance and regulations were still being worked out and many felt they simply didn’t need to invest in a telehealth system. While this is common for most new technologies, especially in a sector as highly regulated as healthcare, these issues were quickly resolved with the start of the pandemic; telehealth was suddenly the only option available to millions of Americans looking for healthcare services. Even with this massive boost in adoption, a critical challenge still remains that many practices have yet to overcome: contracting. Telehealth contracting is still a minefield that providers have to navigate in order to ensure that the appropriate protections and business terms are in place before any agreements are made.

Consider the following three key areas when contracting for telehealth.

Onboarding

One of the biggest advantages offered by telehealth is the ability to expand service availability beyond by liberating the services from the confines of a physical office. Providers can now serve patients that they were previously unable to due to geographical constraints. The specialty that has benefited from this the most is mental health, as it rarely requires a physical examination. A simple post on social media or recommendation by friends or family members can now lead to patients gaining access to much-needed services that might have previously been too far for them to travel.

What this means for contracting is that large groups of providers will need to be quickly credentialed, contracted and onboarded. Intelligent contracting solutions and professional credentialing experts can greatly expedite the process for providers.

Pricing

Pricing for telehealth services is by no means a settled issue, with the CPT codes having been made only a few short years ago. The current list of codes is still extremely small and will no doubt see a great deal of expansion in the next few years. Existing codes are mostly time-based, though this leave opens the question of whether a certain specialty’s time is more valuable than another’s. This type of specificity is needed and will likely be figured out in just a few short years.

Learn More: Ensure Success in Telehealth With These Basic Tips

Amendments

Risk is a topic that has, so far, been largely missing from conversations surrounding telehealth. Providers need the ability to protect themselves from potential litigation. Just like pricing, this is another area where providers can expect a great deal of change over the coming years as the relevant regulatory authorities figure out how they wish to approach the matter.