ABSTRACT
In March 2020, significant steps were taken on the federal and state levels to change, temporarily, telehealth policies to allow the technology to be utilized more fully in response to the pandemic. In a 2019 consumer survey by American Well, a majority of older adults showed a willingness to try telehealth as a means of receiving care. There is a particular interest in using telehealth to address the health-care needs of rural communities as they struggle with access to needed health-care services. Some of the reasons for the slow adoption in rural regions are existing policy barriers and connectivity limitations. While the technology has evolved at a rapid pace, the policy that allows for the use of that technology to deliver care has developed more slowly. Broadband connectivity is another issue that impedes the use of telehealth in rural America. Without connectivity, telehealth will not work.
