Health centers are experimenting with telehealth for a range of conditions, working with different types of remote providers, and confronting different telehealth policies and implementation barriers, depending on their locations and payer mix. This paper explores the experiences of health centers and state Medicaid programs in seven states.
Among key findings are that health centers reported that: 1) if they could serve as both originating and distant sites, this could spur further utilization of telehealth; 2) they and their partners would benefit from additional clarification and education of telehealth policies, especially as they relate to FQHCs; 3) telehealth may be most effective if implemented as part of a suite of strategies to address workforce shortages in rural areas.