Telemedicine has grown more popular over the past few months as physicians utilized new methods to connect with and diagnose their patients in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdowns. However, even before these changes became necessary, a report by Property Casualty 360 says that many employers and medical offices found that virtual appointments delivered another alternative to providing care for some patients.

“When an injured employee suffers a serious or complex injury, nurses can be a valuable resource to promote recovery and return to work,” says Jennifer Cogbill, vice president, GBCARE at Gallagher Bassett.

There are a wide range of medical services that can be provided remotely from kiosks in airports and pharmacies that allow individuals to check their pulse, blood pressure, temperature and other vitals to triaging care through telehealth visits. In these cases, nurses usually serve as the gatekeepers who determine what level of care is required for a patient, from a bandage to something more serious.

Dave Lupinsky, vice president of medical review services at CorVel Corporation, which provides health care management services for employers, third-party administrators, insurers and government entities, finds that care management starts by assessing which level of care is required: self-care that patients can provide to themselves with guidance from a nurse or other service provider, telecare provided remotely or care in a traditional brick and mortar location such as an emergency room or occupational clinic for more serious situations.

For most patients, the visits are conducted either over a desktop computer or some sort of mobile device (e.g., cell phone or tablet).

Despite the convenience tele-visits provide, some very real limitations must be considered. Some patients may not be technology savvy and have trouble accessing the patient portal or getting their computer to operate correctly (i.e., turning on the camera or microphone). Telemedicine also is not applicable for all injury and treatment types due to the limitations with the exam and other services needed.

As telemedicine moves from a niche service to more mainstream use, the value in terms of insurance and workers’ compensation claims will grow exponentially. James Quiggle, senior director of communications for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, anticipates that a new surge of tele-scams could well become America’s next large surge of medical fraud.

“Workers’ comp, auto and health insurers could find themselves confronting surges of false telemedicine claims. Insurers in each line have a unique vulnerability due to the large volume of medical claims,” he asserts. “

Scams focus on exams, tests and treatments that don’t require physical contact ” often abusing telemed codes. Many scams will be familiar, only using telemed as the fraud delivery vehicle. Providers might do dozens of perfunctory, two-minute, tele-consults to see if a patient is injured and needs physical therapy. Doctors bill insurers for one-hour sessions and receive kickbacks for referring patients to the physical therapist.”

“Large crime rings will profit mightily from telemedicine. Telemarketing firms can hire phone boiler rooms to tele-recruit hundreds of bogus patients. The patients are referred to colluding providers for bogus tele-consults and treatment,” he says, outlining how the fraud process will develop.

While not a panacea, telemedicine does provide another tool for medical professionals to connect with patients, particularly in a time when social distancing seems prudent. However, like every aspect of new technology, it needs to be implemented wisely.