Infographic: How State Medicaid Programs Can Use Telehealth to Serve Pregnant Women during COVID-19
This infographic highlights what states need to consider when providing pregnancy-related services to Medicaid enrollees through telehealth during the pandemic. Links to more tools and resources are listed below the infographic.
States can use the following flexibilities and tools to increase access to pregnancy-related services via telehealth:
- Medicaid State Plan Disaster Relief State Plan Amendment: States can use these streamlined templates to add telehealth services.
- State Medicaid and CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
- Medicaid and CHIP Telehealth Toolkit Checklist for States
- Section 1135 Waiver Flexibilities: States can use this waiver to waive provider enrollment and prior authorizations requirements to expand access to telehealth services.
- The Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance that allows for enforcement discretion for noncompliance with HIPAA regulatory requirements related to providers and telehealth (e.g., using non-HIPAA compliant systems like Zoom).
- Information letters can provide guidance on billing and covered services to managed care organizations.
- NASHP blog: States Rapidly Build their Telehealth Capacity to Deliver Opioid Use Disorder Treatment, April, 2020
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
