Telehealth in Montana Opens Doors
Telehealth in Montana has changed over the last three years. The COVID-19 pandemic forced care to be delivered virtually. Now, many behavioral health and healthcare providers have embraced the innovation.
In 2020, the Center for Children, Families, and Workforce Development (Center) surveyed 80 Montana providers, including nurses, physicians, healthcare managers and behavioral health clinicians, to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted medical and behavioral health providers’ suicide prevention and response. The survey focused specifically on service provision via telehealth for Native American communities in Montana.
Results of this study were published in the Telemedicine and eHealth journal, titled Telehealth During COVID-19: Suicide Prevention and American Indian Communities in Montana. The Center researchers found that:
- 75% of providers said that telehealth is effective for suicide prevention.
- 98% of providers believed that telehealth is needed for suicide prevention.
- Only 19% said that telehealth is less efficient.
- Telehealth is a trusted venue to provide care. Only 5% have safety concerns, and only 9% of providers have privacy concerns.
Tele-health opens access-to-care doors
Montana’s large geographic size and low provider-to-patient ratios make access to health and social care challenging. The Center has learned that telehealth can mitigate many of these challenges — opening doors for many Montanans. As providers shared with us during the pandemic, telehealth is a safe, confidential, and effective way to deliver health care.
Montana Behavioral Health Provider Perspective: “Teleheath is new to me. Am I doing this right?”
The newness of this approach has caused uncertainty about how to provide tele-health correctly, how to engage patients, and how to ensure patient safety and confidentiality in the virtual platform.
In response to these concerns, the Center has developed a brief eLearning course for behavioral health clinicians and clinic managers titled, Tele-Behavioral Health Best Practices. This online course addresses:
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strengths and limitations of tele-behavioral health delivery in Montana;
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laws and regulations related to electronic forms, HIPAA compliance, and the use of technology;
- best practices and techniques for building rapport;
- tips for setting up physical space to practice; and
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tele-behavioral health safety planning.
This course is free and available to Montana providers and clinic managers. The link and access information are located below.
Public Health Emergency rules set to expire in May. What does this mean for telehealth in Montana?
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government declared a national public health emergency (PHE) in March 2020 to ensure access to needed healthcare services during the pandemic. The PHE expanded coverage of healthcare services delivered via telehealth.
The PHE is now set to expire on May 11, 2023. As a result, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has begun the “unwinding” process. Over the next several months, DPHHS will require all current Montana Medicaid recipients to submit a renewal form so DPHHS can assess whether the recipient is still eligible for Medicaid. In preparation for the eligibility renewal, individuals on Medicaid should update their contact information with Montana Medicaid, check their mailbox for a letter from the Office of Public Assistance, and complete their renewal form as early as possible.
Fortunately, not all the PHE’s benefits will be reversed during the unwinding process. DPHHS has taken steps to ensure that Montana’s healthcare providers can continue to offer expanded telehealth services so long as they are medically necessary, clinically appropriate, and follow the guidelines within Montana Healthcare Program provider manuals.
Additionally, telehealth services — regardless of delivery via phone, instant messaging, or audio-visual conversations — will continue to have the same reimbursement rates as in-person services. These changes ensure that telehealth will continue to play a pivotal role within Montana’s healthcare system and its efforts to increase access to quality healthcare services to all Montanans.
The Center stands behind telehealth as a viable option to enhancing health and behavioral health care access across the state. We will continue to track and announce rule changes that impact the health of Montanans. Additionally, the Center will continue to support the training and implementation of an on-the-ground workforce, such as community health workers. Community health workers can act as a pivotal link between Telehealth providers and community members as they navigate health and social care services.
Find additional telehealth resources on our Resource webpage.
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