ZoomCare Teams Up with Oregon Healthcare Organizations to Support House Bill 2508

PORTLAND, Ore., March 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ZoomCare, the Pacific Northwest-based innovator and creator of on-demand healthcare, is leading the charge alongside multiple healthcare organizations in Oregon, including Kaiser Permanente and Oregon Medical Association, to promote equitable and safe access to care through House Bill 2508. The bill is a comprehensive update to Oregon telehealth statutes to ensure the reimbursement of health services delivered using telemedicine and requires health plans to include coverage of telemedicine.

Why HB 2508?
Following the dramatic increase in the usage of telehealth services, state and federal regulators, insurers, Medicaid CCOs, and providers have worked together to achieve payment parity for services that are delivered just as effectively through virtual channels as in-person visits. HB 2508 aims to make these changes permanent after the pandemic ends.

"Telehealth has become a vital tool in delivering quality healthcare--both for patients and for providers. Our regulatory and payment systems need to catch up to where telehealth has already taken us," said Dr. Erik Vanderlip, Chief Medical Officer at ZoomCare. "If we return to red tape and complexity in delivering telehealth, which is what will happen if we don't pass HB2508, we will be taking away a crucial lifeline to care for people across Oregon."

If passed, HB 2508 will:

• Remove barriers to access: In the first quarter of 2020, and the start of the pandemic, the number of telehealth visits increased by 50% when compared to the same period in 2019.

• Improve continuity of care: Far fewer patients miss appointments and telehealth enables convenient, efficient follow-ups.

• Telehealth parity aligns with Oregon's broad health policy goals: Increases access and quality while reducing the rising cost of care.

• Save significant costs: Patients seek out telehealthcare first to address health concerns, minimizing unnecessary visits to the emergency room or urgent care.

"The bottom line is that this bill benefits all Oregonians who rely on access to quality care through telehealth," said ZoomCare CEO, Torben Nielsen. "We're pioneers in this field and we know how vital it is for helping people get the care they need, when and where they need it."

About ZoomCare

ZoomCare is focused on a single goal: reinventing healthcare to put people in charge of their own health. We deliver same day, on-demand primary, urgent, specialty, and emergency healthcare through mobile-first technology, text and video visits, and in-person at over 60 neighborhood clinics across 4 states. Our trusted professionals help you feel better, faster, with compassionate care, no-wait visits and on-site access to prescription medication. And our patients love us, with 19k reviewers rating us 4.8/5 stars. For more about ZoomCare, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

CONTACT:
Kevin Boyle
Matter Communications for ZoomCare
[email protected]

SOURCE ZoomCare