TELEPHONES, TELEMEDICINE, AND A TECHNOLOGICALLY NEUTRAL COVERAGE POLICY

Health care must be understood in a way that facilitates a rational, c onsistent coverage and payment policy. Telephone care, telemedicine ca re, and in-person consultation are all useful ways of providing health care services. Because improved health and reasonable costs are the u niversally desired outcomes of medical consultations, reimbursement po licies should favor the most efficient means of providing care. This v iew suggests that health care reimbursement should be made technologic ally neutral. That is, a covered service should produce the best clini cal outcome at the lowest possible cost, irrespective of the technolog y used. The logic and implications of technological neutrality and its application-to telemedicine are discussed.