Abstract
Purpose of Review The purpose of this policy brief is to discuss barriers to prenatal care faced by rural, low-resource patients, assess telemedicine’s potential to reduce these barriers, and inform health policy development to optimize those benefits through continued audio-only Medicaid reimbursement. Recent Findings For pregnant and postpartum patients, telemedicine offers a modality for frequent interaction with healthcare providers, reducing barriers including taking time off from work and familial responsibilities, commute time, and transportation costs. However, challenges exist in providing equitable access to telemedicine. Summary The COVID-19 pandemic shifted traditional forms of healthcare delivery towards telemedicine to minimize overcrowding in health facilities, conserve personal protective equipment and reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Telemedicine— the remote diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease— reduces patient and staff exposure to infection and helps provide necessary care to patients by making healthcare more accessible for underserved patient populations who are especially vulnerable amidst the pandemic, including low-resource and rural patients.
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