During the pandemic, states and insurers overnight did what years of advocacy for telemedicine had failed to accomplish. During the pandemic, states and insurers overnight did what years of advocacy for telemedicine had failed to accomplish. It also increases patients’ access to critical information because they can see their own charts and ask questions at any time. Telemedicine access in rural areas is particularly urgent given how many hospitals in these places are shuttering their doors. Whatever the reasoning, navigating the politics and funding streams of our complicated health care system oftentimes takes years to create lasting, positive change.

---