The American Experiment is a think tank that focuses on “creative solutions that emphasize free enterprise, limited government, personal responsibility and government accountability” in Minnesota. They recently looked at telehealth as a way to bridge labor gaps in the healthcare industry…

Today Minnesota must increase its investment in telehealth development as the state faces rising labor force imbalances. The current MN labor demographics show stagnation, with the labor force only growing 0.2% annually since 2019. At the same time, Minnesota’s labor force is aging, and birth rates show a steady decline. 

They propose a solution…

Telehealth offers excellent benefits for patient access and cost efficiency. Telehealth allows for a shrinking pool of clinical staff to reach more patients per hour and keeps costs low for seniors and individuals most exposed to Medicaid cuts. Plus, it draws on federal telehealth financial support. Telehealth functions as a genuine efficiency tool for a system straining for both manpower and money. Implementation of AI developments will continue to strengthen telehealth capabilities to empower its already beneficial services.  

There are some concerns with telehealth worth noting. Care quality must be met for each patient. Private companies already invest significant amounts of money into telehealth creating questions about the role of Medicare and Medicaid dollars spent on telehealth. Broadband access is not available to every corner of the state. AI risks include technological difficulties and privacy concerns. These are valid concerns.  

However, inaction to move forward will result in less access and innovation to improve the telehealth product. By implementing investment in telehealth now, increased time in the marketplace can improve its care quality. The same goes for broadband expansion and innovative developments such as Starlink that lead to quality internet across remote Minnesota areas. Delaying telehealth expansion will lead to loss in care access while telehealth innovation and improvement stagnates.