Reforming Telehealth Billing: Valuing Expertise Over Time Spent
EurekAlert
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Contributed by: Kate Gamble
Summary
Telehealth is facing challenges in billing practices, particularly in how it compensates medical expertise, according to Dong-Gil Ko from the University of Cincinnati. He criticizes the current time-based billing model for undervaluing skilled doctors who may provide efficient and accurate care compared to less experienced colleagues. Ko's research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, seeks to create a more equitable billing system that factors in both time and clinical expertise. Collaborating with UC Health professionals, he is developing a framework utilizing artificial intelligence and electronic health records that recognizes the worth of a physician’s knowledge. The existing Ohio billing code introduced in 2023 creates inequities by rewarding time spent rather than the quality of care provided.
