The Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care recently published the findings from a 2014 survey conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians ("AAFP") on the use of telehealth by family physicians. According to the study, only 15 percent of the family care physicians surveyed in 2014 had used telehealth in the prior year. The study also reports that use of telehealth is more likely among physicians working in federally qualified health centers or health maintenance organizations than those working in accountable care organizations or patient-centered medical homes. According to the leader of the study, telehealth use lags because "payment is not aligned with services yet." While telehealth reimbursement has improved since 2014, particularly in certain states, CMS's 2017 Medicare physician fee schedule still provides limited reimbursement for telehealth services. The AAFP study is part of a growing body of research on telehealth and reimbursement by organizations that include the American Telehealth Association, the Health Information and Management Systems Society, and the Center for Connected Health Policy.
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