JAMA Network: Expiration of State Licensure Waivers and Out-of-State Telemedicine Relationships

JAMA Network: Expiration of State Licensure Waivers and Out-of-State Telemedicine Relationships

Following the expiration of waivers enabling out-of-state telehealth visits, patients tended to stop seeing the physician rather than switch to in-person care. The study shows that in states with expired waivers, patients with out-of-state telehealth relationships were less likely to participate in any post-period visits. Patients with out-of-state relationships were less likely to have telehealth or in-person visits after waiver expiration. This finding was most prominent when the patient and clinician were over 321.9 km apart. The results support the need to reform state licensure. Among the small number of telemedicine relationships in which out-of-state physicians held a license in states where patients resided, there was no decrease in continuity. For additional coverage, see mHealth Intelligence.