From Politico (link: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/10/hospitals-telehealth-push-00157062):
Hospitals want you to visit them less often.
Empowered by Washington and armed with Covid-inspired health innovations, health executives are seeking to increasingly move care outside of the hospital — despite the seeming risk to their bottom line.
Hospital executives think they can more than make up the revenue by shifting their exam and recovery rooms to patients’ homes. And Congress is urging them on, with legislation in the works to help hospitals expand their at-home offerings and to allow Medicare to continue paying for telehealth after lawmakers first granted temporary permission after Covid struck.
The appeal to lawmakers is potential savings if remote care proves more efficient, but hospitals also see financial advantage.
“It’s a real game changer for us” and “one of the silver linings to the pandemic,” John Couris, president and CEO of the Florida Health Sciences Center in Tampa, said of Congress’ support for remote care. “We’re all trying to diversify our revenue streams.”