AMA research finds inconsistency in insurance coverage for digital medicine

The digital revolution is transforming not only on health care delivery but also health insurance coverage. The American Medical Association on Monday released a report examining the status of digital health advancement in the commercial health insurance industry by comparing current coverage across private health insurers and exploring how coverage decisions are made for digitally enabled care services.

“While the United States has entered an era when digitally enabled care is integrated with in-person care, the potential of this hybridized care model is not yet fully realized,” said Dr. Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, president of the association. “The lack of commercial coverage can be a roadblock or bottleneck to affordable access to digital medicine services for more than half the U.S. population who count on private health insurance.”

The research found the following key themes regarding commercial payer coverage of digital medicine: