CMS Should Assess Effect of Increased Telehealth Use on Beneficiaries’ Quality of Care

To respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, states have expanded their coverage of tele-health in Medicaid, a jointly financed federal-state health care program for low-income and medically needy individuals.

The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to report on the federal response to the pandemic. In addition, GAO was asked to examine the use of Medicaid flexibilities in response to COVID-19. This report describes selected states’ tele-health use before and during the pandemic, and experiences with and plans for tele-health. It also evaluates, among other things, CMS’s tele-health oversight of quality of services.

GAO analyzed state-reported data on tele-health use in six states selected, in part, based on variation in geography, Medicaid program size, and percentage of population living in rural areas. GAO reviewed federal oversight documents, interviewed state and federal Medicaid officials, and assessed CMS oversight against CMS guidance on using data to identify disparities in health care and target improvements.