Have you participated in our email-writing campaign asking policymakers to ensure patients with pain have access to care?
We’re asking that state and federal officials take steps to:
- ensure telehealth copays cost no more than in-person visits,
- exempt patients who are high-risk from required in-person appointments,
- require insurers to cover 90-day supplies of medications
And more.
It takes just a minute to take participate! Simply click the link below, enter your address information, review the template, and hit send. You’re welcome to make edits to the note–it always helps to add a bit of your personal story.
MIDDLETOWN, CONN., APRIL, 16, 2020 – Without adequate telehealth, individuals with chronic health issues face a difficult choice: receive in-person care and put themselves at risk of COVID-19, or deal with increased symptoms and worsening health. This and other findings are part of a report released today by the U.S. Pain Foundation, the largest nonprofit for the 50 millions Americans who live with chronic pain.
By: Janet Jay
With the explosion of COVID-19 and widespread social isolating, many people are using telemedicine appointments for the first time. “Telemedicine” may sound intimidating, but really, it simply means conducting your appointment over the phone or an online videoconferencing service. Whether you’re directly looking for a telemedicine appointment or have been offered one as a substitute for an in-person consultation, you should contact your insurance company to make sure they cover it and if there are any out-of-pocket costs.
Telemedicine is an exciting new frontier in health care that can provide more accessible, streamlined treatment by connecting patients and clinicians virtually. U.S. Pain Foundation is pleased to announce telemedicine as one of its new state advocacy priorities.
“We believe that telemedicine has the potential to improve the lives of chronic pain patients,” says Shaina Smith, U.S. Pain director of state advocacy and alliance development. “Many patients with severe pain are limited in their abilities to get to and from doctors’ appointments. Offered in conjunction with traditional, in-office care, telemedicine can help ensure these patients don’t slip through the cracks and are able to get the care they need.”