The Medicaid and CHIP Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act seeks to expand care options that can help improve health outcomes and quality of life for people who experience barriers to healthcare. The Digital Therapeutics Coalition this week encouraged lawmakers to support efforts to expand access to DTx.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
For people with chronic illnesses and mental health covered by Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, reimbursement for digital platforms and apps can improve outcomes health was limited.
Bipartisan bill, S.5238, introduced by Senators Shelly Moore Capito, RW.Va., and Jeanne Shaheen, DN.H., could meet the need for a regulatory framework by requiring the Centers The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services develops national insurance standards.
The act would also define the term “prescription digital treatment” in Medicaid and allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide technical assistance to states as they review coverage.
The DTA said it welcomes the move and looks forward to working with a broad coalition to get it through in Congress, because it allows doctors to prescribe innovative new technologies such as medical devices. mHealth digital and apps deliver value to both patients and providers.
“This legislation will establish greater clarity and consistency in how prescription digital therapies are covered by public programs from state to state and is an important step toward ensure that these evidence-based treatments reach those who need them most.” Molnar, DTA executive director in the alliance’s announcement.
TREND TO BIGGER
The DTA noted in its statement supporting the bill that Medicaid beneficiaries face increased barriers to care during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, therapeutic approaches such as digital applications for mental health care management systems and digital can help practice scale and reach more patients with workflows. repeatability and tools that automate low-touch interactions. These apps can also identify patients in need of intervention.
According to Bronwyn Spira, founder and CEO of Force Therapeutics, with several digital therapy products, clinicians can easily track engagement and progress directly in health records. electronic health and workflow.
Spira said in a recent conversation about how digital therapy can improve chiropractic and physical therapy care that digital care management platforms can help address fundamental challenges. patient background – from inadequate access to health care to poor health literacy and lack of motivation.
“We have little or no ability to see how patients are managing at home and whether patients are achieving results that are important to them,” she says, explaining that chiropractors and physiotherapists lack the data to make the right care decisions – while patients lapse in their treatment regimens or face cost challenges.
“That period of time led me to believe that evidence-based distance education and therapy can play an important role in helping disadvantaged populations follow through on their aftercare plan,” she said. their surgery.
ON PROFILE
Molnar said in the DTA statement: “Digital therapies are of particular value to Medicaid beneficiaries with convenient, accessible and personalized treatment options to address many unmet medical needs.
Andrea Fox is the senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS.
