Transcript:
With technology, you can now have an appointment with your doctor remotely. But Congress is debating whether Medicare will continue to cover the cost of those telehealth visits.
So John Mafi, a physician and associate professor at UCLA, wants to make sure policymakers consider all the benefits telehealth can provide.
He says it increases access to care, especially for frail, elderly, and lower-income patients who may have a harder time getting to an in-person visit.
Mafi: “Telehealth or audio-only phone calls have been a lifeline for some of these more vulnerable groups of patients.”
And Mafi says there’s another, less-recognized benefit – reduced carbon emissions due to fewer car trips to the doctor.
In a recent study, his team found that if patients in the U.S. keep using telemedicine at the same rates they did in 2023, it would be comparable to taking at least 60,000 gas cars off the road.
Mafi: “This is not only boosting access to care. … Telehealth may be a means to at least modestly reduce the carbon footprint of U.S. health care delivery.”
Mafi says climate change is a major health threat, so it’s important for his industry to do what it can to reduce its climate impact.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
