HP Innovation Journal Issue 15: Summer 2020 | Page 33
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HP (BELOW)
Another way to get more patients access is to get
more doctors to adopt telehealth as a normal part of
their healthcare offerings. The pandemic caused federal
regulators in charge of setting Medicare and Medicaid
reimbursement rates to increase payments to doctors
for providing telehealth, creating incentives that make
virtual care an option for many more older Americans.
Geisler, the Florida retiree, says she scheduled
appointments for online visits with two specialists after
that first online rheumatology visit.
“COVID-19 definitely brought virtual visits to the front
of my mind,” she says. “Why go in if I don’t have to?”
“ This isn’t just about responding
to COVID-19 lockdowns.
Digital health can help us
address the many healthcare
challenges that are staring
us in the face—if we get it right.”
—Frances Ayalasomayajula,
HP Head of Population Health Worldwide
PHOTOGRAPH BY
INNOVATION/ SUMMER 2020
31