The pandemic accelerated telehealth adoption across Indianapolis, creating new possibilities for mental health access that previously seemed impossible. Patients who struggled with transportation, scheduling conflicts, or stigma found virtual care options that removed traditional barriers to treatment. However, upcoming policy changes threaten to limit these gains just as communities begin recognizing telehealth’s potential.
Between March and August 2021, the proportion of patients in rural areas who used telehealth for mental health and substance use services was 55%, compared with 35% in urban areas. This disparity demonstrates telehealth’s particular value for underserved populations, including Indianapolis residents who face geographic or transportation challenges accessing mental health care.
Telehealth’s Mental Health Promise
Virtual mental health services offer several advantages that address longstanding access barriers. Reducing geographic and transportation obstacles allows patients to receive care from their homes, eliminating commute time and associated costs. Scheduling flexibility enables patients to access services during hours that work with employment or family responsibilities.
Privacy and stigma reduction represent significant benefits for mental health specifically. Unfortunately, people may mask or hide mental health issues because of negative public perception. Surveys conducted by McKinsey and Co. reveal that the stigma attached to these invisible illnesses causes a serious paradox. When people are most vulnerable and in need, stigma can stop them from pursuing counseling, potentially exacerbating the issue.
Students at the University of Indianapolis will now have expanded access to 24/7 mental health care thanks to a new partnership with TimelyCare, the most trusted virtual health and well-being provider in higher education. Through TimelyCare, University of Indianapolis students can select from a wide-ranging menu of virtual care options from licensed counselors in all 50 states, at no cost and without the barrier of traditional insurance.
Acute behavioral health hospitals such as Options Behavioral Health have sought to adapt some services for telehealth delivery where clinically appropriate, recognizing technology’s role in expanding access for patients who might otherwise face barriers to consistent attendance.
Policy Challenges Ahead
Without Congressional action, key telehealth flexibilities that were first put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic will expire on September 30, 2025. These policy changes will particularly impact Medicare beneficiaries and providers who have integrated telehealth into their practice models.
Medicare patients can receive telehealth services for non-behavioral/mental health care in their home through September 30, 2025. An in-person visit within six months of an initial Medicare behavioral/mental telehealth service, and annually thereafter, is not required through September 30, 2025.
Without additional legislative intervention, providers who received temporary allowance will no longer be eligible to provide telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries. Marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors, newly added as permanent practitioners in 2024, face particular uncertainty.
Options Behavioral Health monitors policy changes to maintain service accessibility for patients, working to ensure continuity when telehealth options may become limited due to regulatory changes.
Hybrid Care Models
Group health insurance plans that include teletherapy options can help employees overcome barriers such as commuting, scheduling, or geographic limitations. Combining in-person and virtual services allows providers to maximize accessibility while maintaining clinical effectiveness.
Technology-assisted therapy programs show promise for extending traditional therapeutic approaches. These hybrid models may include virtual group sessions, remote monitoring between appointments, and digital therapeutic tools that supplement in-person treatment.
Acute behavioral health hospitals such as Options Behavioral Health often explore innovative service delivery models to maximize patient access within regulatory constraints, demonstrating how established facilities can adapt to changing technology and policy conditions while maintaining quality care standards.
Learn more: https://www.optionsbehavioralhealthsystem.com/programs/adult-inpatient/
