The bill, which is supported by the University of Arizona’s Center for Rural Health, would require payers to cover virtual care services similarly to in-person coverage. Private insurers now only cover limited access to telemedicine providers.
Patients in rural areas would benefit most from the bill, as many primary care providers in these areas continue to retire.
Arizona is the fifth fastest-growing state, according to the report, and less the half (42 percent) of its booming population visits primary care physicians.
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