Texas may be among the first of many states to enact laws that encourage providers to continue electronically communicating with and monitoring their patients after COVID-19 emergency regulations and governors’ orders expire. State legislatures are acknowledging the advantages telehealth offered during COVID-19 and are making major changes to pre-pandemic law to accommodate its continued use […]
A study by researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has found that cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who received care at home via remote patient monitoring were significantly less likely to require hospitalization for their illness, compared to cancer patients with COVID-19 who did not participate in the program. Results of the study were presented Friday, June 4, at […]
With the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, people are going back to the ER, and payers are trying to steer them instead toward mHealth apps, telehealth platforms and retail clinics. By Eric Wicklund June 09, 2021 – With hospital emergency departments moving back toward pre-COVID-19 traffic levels, some payers are renewing efforts to steer their members away from […]
Medicare nursing home residents would keep their access to some telehealth flexibilities adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic long after the public health crisis is over under a new proposal from a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The legislation — Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act — was introduced late last week by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Joe […]
Meanwhile, Oregon becomes the latest state to enact its own telehealth legislation. By Kat Jercich June 15, 2021 02:55 PM U.S. senators this past week introduced another bill aimed at making telehealth flexibilities permanent under Medicare – including audio-only telehealth appointments. The Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act is geared toward ensuring underserved community health providers are able […]
The pandemic was marked by remote patient monitoring and telehealth use to monitor and manage health at home, but future innovation is needed to meet consumer needs. By Sara Heath June 16, 2021 – More people than ever have bought remote patient monitoring into their homes, with Deloitte finding that 14 percent of healthcare consumers bought a fitness tracker like […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the bipartisan Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021 to remove barriers to telemental health services for Medicare beneficiaries. “Over the pandemic, we’ve seen an increased need for telehealth services whether it’s for substance use disorders, physical ailments or […]
The COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it forever — and how we talk about it. Below are 15 words that have gained a new meaning during the pandemic, solidified their place in public dialogue or didn’t even exist a year and a half ago. Breakthrough. After the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, use of the […]
At a meeting this week, the American Medical Association’s delegates adopted new policies specifically targeting peer-to-peer review of prior authorization decisions and the particular burden of prior authorization during a public health emergency. The country’s largest physician organization is taking steps to rein in bureaucratic prior authorization requirements that can lead to delayed and disruptive treatment […]
At one community health network, asynchronous telehealth is expanding access to primary care services for patients. By Emily Sokol, MPH June 15, 2021 – Store-and-forward or asynchronous telehealth often stays out of the headlines, but one community health network is using the telehealth modality to extend primary care services for their patients. Experts say the technology is best fit for […]
Once mastered, the remote patient monitoring platform gives the practice a pathway to establishing meaningful care management. June 07, 2021 – As the nation’s healthcare ecosystem looks to embrace value-based care, concepts like remote patient monitoring are gaining favor with providers—particularly medical practices—who want to improve care management. As with any relatively new service, remote patient monitoring […]
The American Medical Association teamed up with Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital and New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System on a May report to develop a framework for measuring the value of virtual care. As telehealth becomes more integrated into healthcare offerings, the AMA developed a virtual care foundation to guide clinicians, payers and virtual care leaders […]
WASHINGTON – Members of the Government Accountability Office testified before Congress last week saying, while Medicare beneficiaries and providers have benefitted from program waivers and other flexibilities, their continued use beyond the pandemic increases risks and raise considerations. Among those risks and considerations: Increased spending: Telehealth waivers can increase spending in both Medicare and Medicaid, if telehealth […]