With the pandemic sidelining routine care, a trade group urges the government to pay for digital therapeutics
A prominent trade group is calling on the federal government to cover digital health tools for people with public health insurance during the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced widespread delays in routine care.
These tools, known as digital therapeutics, use software and smartphone apps to connect patients with tips and coaching for diseases like diabetes. For the most part, they are not currently covered for Medicare or Medicaid patients, though some private Medicare Advantage plans and Medicaid managed care organizations have contracted with digital diabetes prevention and care providers. Employers and commercial insurance plans, however, are increasingly paying to make the tools available for their workers and members.
