Tucson residents concerned telemedicine won’t be offered

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Many Arizona residents have raised concerns about how long insurance providers will cover video visits and telephone calls to doctors — instead of face-to-face interactions — during the pandemic.

The Arizona Daily Star reported that the rate of infection in Arizona is still rising and there is no vaccine, so many have received doctors’ advice virtually, a method commonly known as telemedicine or telehealth.

Some providers have announced telemedicine visits will end sometime in July, others have extended visits through September.

The method has posed some challenges across the country, such as older patients not owning or knowing how to operate the devices needed.

Mothers like Sara Nixon-Kirschner and Dianne Westfall have raised concerns about the uncertainty, because telemedicine has kept their families safe during the pandemic. Both live in Tucson with young children who require medical care and therapies.

Nixon-Kirschner's daughter Rosie, 4, has a genetic disorder called Koolen-de Vries syndrome and has been receiving speech therapy.

“We would love to be in the same room as our therapist," Nixon-Kirschner said, adding that she is grateful her daughter can still receive therapy. If it was not offered, “I don’t know what we would do."

Westfall's daughter Maddie, 3, has a rare chromosomal disorder called Cri du Chat syndrome that forced their family to take precautions before COVID-19.

“We’ve always acted like flu season was a pandemic,” she said. “We self-isolate and wear masks every year.”

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Telemedicine has been helpful for physicians who collect a service fee, as it has enabled them to continue their practice, officials said. Virtual appointments cost less, since there are no supplies being used, but they can also take longer.

Previously, telemedicine was not offered as regularly because of regulations imposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, but restrictions were loosened because of the pandemic.