Telehealth is often lauded as a solution for inequities in health care. But many of the same disparities persist from in-person to virtual care: Lack of insurance, language differences, literacy challenges, broadband access issues, and more.
VTN’s Equity & Telehealth initiative provides content and resources that aim to equip providers across the Commonwealth with tools, education, and best practices for meeting all needs of patients via telehealth.
Topics
Older Adults | Racial Disparities | Patients with Limited English Proficiency | Mental and Behavioral Health | Enhancing Telehealth Accessibility For Those With Disabilities | Underserved and Underconnected Localities | Social Drivers of Health
Beyond Broadband Access: Making Sure Connectivity Works for Communities
Reliable broadband is increasingly essential to how Virginians access education, work, public services, and health care. But having broadband infrastructure in place does not always mean residents have the connectivity or the skills and confidence they need to use it. To better understand how broadband expansion intersects with health care, the Virginia Telehealth Network spoke with [...]
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CMS Proposes Changes to Remote Monitoring: What Virginia Providers Need to Know
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed significant changes to Medicare’s Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM) and Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) policies that could affect providers and patients across Virginia. If finalized as written, the proposals would create new operational and reimbursement barriers that could disrupt established remote monitoring programs, particularly in rural and underserved communities where [...]
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2026 State and Federal Telehealth Policy Update
Telehealth policy continues to evolve at both the federal and state levels, and providers across Virginia should expect continued movement in reimbursement and compliance requirements. In the Commonwealth, we are closely monitoring telehealth-related legislation moving through the 2026 session of the Virginia General Assembly (read our full legislative update here). In addition to state-level proposals, there have been [...]
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»Read more blog posts about Equity & Telehealth.
Take Action:
Tips and Resources for Enhancing Equity in Your Practice
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- Telehealth.HHS.Gov: Preparing Patients for Telehealth
- West Health: Equity in Telehealth – Toolkit for Telehealth Providers
- Health Center Resource ClearingHouse: Telehealth Resources – Access and Equity
- Telehealth Equity Coalition: Solutions
- Telehealth.HHS.gov: Ensuring Equal Access to Telehealth
- Better Care Playbook: Telehealth’s Impact on Health Equity: Evidence Roundup
- Telehealth.HHS.gov: Improving Access to Telehealth
- Temple University Center for Population Health: Telemedicine Tip Sheets for Providers and Patients
- NRC Health: Guide to Delivering Empathic Telehealth Visits
- Planning Your Telehealth Workflow
- Providing Health Literate Virtual Health Services
- American Medical Association: Telehealth Implementation Book
- Upper MidWest Telehealth Resource Center: Telehealth and Health Literacy – Promoting Patient Understanding
Keep the Conversation Going
Each month we will feature Virginia-grown telehealth successes that meet the needs of our community in novel and inclusive ways. Submit an abstract or story ideas here.
