Telehealth Access is Essential for D.C.
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Support Telehealth for D.C.: Our Healthcare Solution

Telehealth Addresses

Healthcare Inequity
in Washington, D.C.

Telehealth can serve as a social equalizer by providing equitable access to healthcare services, regardless of a patient’s ZIP code. This is particularly important for Washingtonians in underserved communities, like Wards 7 and 8, where there is only one physician for every 4,358 residents. The District has nine designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and eight Medically Underserved Areas\Populations (MUA\P). 49% of DC residents live in these areas.
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Telehealth access is

Essential for D.C.

D.C. can continue to be a leader in telehealth. The District passed the Health Occupations Revision General Amendment Act of 2023, which was a step forward for patient choice and access to quality care. The legislation provides clear guidance to telehealth providers to meet patients where they are for the provision of services, including for establishing practitioner-patient relationships, so long as those services can meet the standard of care.

Telehealth reduces the need for travel, which is particularly beneficial for Washingtonians who may have to travel significant distances to receive care. This is crucial for patients who rely on Medicaid and often have limited transportation options. This is also helpful to D.C. residents who have child and elder care responsibilities or work multiple jobs.
By providing remote consultations, telehealth can prevent unnecessary emergency room visits, reserving emergency services in the District for true emergencies and reducing wait times.
Telehealth saves time and lowers healthcare costs by reducing hospital admissions and enabling early intervention for chronic conditions.
Telehealth companies are subject to stringent regulatory standards and quality assurance protocols, ensuring that patient safety and data privacy are prioritized, and that healthcare services meet established medical standards.
Expanding patients’ access to care depends on the ability to embrace and invest in telehealth technologies. This industry requires long-term certainty and support from policymakers to make the investments needed to fully realize the potential of innovative and reliable health care.

Telehealth is

Safe and Reliable

D.C. residents can trust telehealth for high-quality care, strict accountability, and advanced data protection. It benefits patients without a primary care physician and addresses healthcare disparities, ensuring accessible care for diverse communities.

World-Class Care

Telehealth companies enable highly-trained healthcare providers to deliver top-tier healthcare services to patients.

Accountability to Patients

Telehealth companies are subject to regulatory standards and quality assurance protocols, ensuring that patient safety and data privacy are prioritized.

State of the Art Technology

The use of advanced technology and comprehensive digital platforms enables telehealth providers to offer accurate diagnoses, effective treatment plans, and timely follow-ups, ensuring patients receive consistent and reliable care.

Telehealth can help reverse 
stark racial disparities in health outcomes for D.C residents, helping increase the life expectancy of residents in 
Wards 7 and 8. Life expectancy 
is as low as 69 years in Ward 8, compared with 83 or more in Wards 2 and 3 — a difference of 14 years, according to the D.C. Center for Policy, Planning and Evaluation.

Washingtonians should trust telehealth because it offers high-quality healthcare services that address the disparities in access to care, with rigorous accountability measures to ensure patient safety, privacy, and effective treatment outcomes, particularly benefiting those without a primary care physician and overcoming language and cultural barriers faced by diverse communities.
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© 2025 DC for Telehealth Equity and Access