Telehealth News and Market Developments
Health Affairs: Special Registration For Telemedicine Prescribing Of Buprenorphine Is Likely To Do More Harm Than Good (10/12) - Brian Hurley, president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) shared in this op-ed that ASAM does not support a special registration process for telemedicine prescribing of buprenorphine for OUD is unnecessary now as it has the potential to cause harm. Hurley recounts experiences from the X-waiver, which Congress posed as a needless barrier to treatment and recently repealed it. ASAM recommends, iIn lieu of a special registration process, the DEA and HHS should, in a final rule, establish a bona fide exam requirement that strikes the appropriate balance between public health and safety and effective controls against diversion for buprenorphine for OUD.
Modern Healthcare: Cigna Buys Digital Health Provider Bright.MD (10/10) - Cigna’s Evernorth Health Services unit will integrate Bright.md’s asynchronous digital services into MDLive, a telehealth platform that covers 60 million commercial, Medicaid and Medicare enrollees. MDLive supports about 2 million virtual urgent care, behavioral health, tele-dermatology and primary care visits annually. Beginning in 2024, more than 20 million commercial members will be able to correspond with Bright.md providers through MDLive for virtual urgent care services. Bright.md will convert their responses into chart notes that physicians can review and use to develop appropriate care plans, prescribe medications and schedule follow-up appointments.
Walmart: Walmart Expands Virtual Health Care Benefits, Increasing Access for Associates to Quality Providers Across the Country (10/10) - Walmart announced a partnership with Included Health to launch a virtual primary care option for employees in select states, including a $0 copayment for virtual care visits. In 2020, Walmart launched a virtual primary care pilot, which saw huge improvements to employees' health. Walmart saw a 26 percent reduction in hospital readmissions among people who used the virtual primary care platform as well as a 38 percent reduction in inpatient hospital costs on a cohort basis. Beginning January 1, 2024, Walmart employees can access these virtual health services.
Modern Healthcare: Walgreens to Launch On-Demand Virtual Care Services (10/10) - Walgreens announced at HLTH that they will launch an on-demand virtual care service later this month. The company will offer dermatology, primary care, urgent care, women’s health and men’s health services. Patients can set up video visits with providers, attend virtual consultations with a doctor or nurse practitioner and have prescriptions shipped to their home. The virtual care offering will give Walgreens more access to underserved communities and build consumer trust.
Modern Healthcare: How Employers Are Adding Virtual Cancer Care to Their Benefit Plans (10/10) - As the disease hits more working-age people, virtual cancer care is growing as a covered medical benefit in employer-sponsored plans. Large employers’ benefits packages often include medical and dental coverage, a 401(k) match and increasingly, virtual cancer care. Employers are investing in solutions to help people get diagnosed earlier, better navigate the complexities of cancer care and connect with leading cancer care centers. Fifty three percent of employers are planning to offer a cancer-focused center of excellence approach in their benefit plans in 2024.
Healthcare Dive: Amwell and Nestle Partner on Digital Nutrition Programs (10/5) - Telehealth firm Amwell is partnering with Nestlé Health Science to create digital health programs focused on nutrition. The partners’ first offering, the Advanced Surgical Nutrition Automated Care Program, pairs Amwell’s virtual companion service with Nestlé’s Impact Advanced Recovery drink and is available for patients undergoing major elective surgery in the U.S. Enrolled patients receive the drink while the digital program offers patient education and guidance, evaluates progress and adherence and can prompt clinicians to assist if necessary. The program could “help strengthen patients’ pre-operative journeys and foster better care plan compliance,” according to an Amwell spokesperson. The companies didn’t disclose financial terms behind the deal, but said they will work on other initiatives that aim to improve outcomes and lower costs for health systems.
Healthcare IT News: Telehealth Helps Address Many Key Chronic Care Management Challenges (10/3) - Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring are essential tools to help manage patients with chronic diseases, workforce shortage, and an aging population. Brian Esterly, CEO of TimeDoc Health, a vendor of virtual care management, shares how telehealth and RPM can help with chronic care management – especially as the number of people with chronic diseases grows, the population ages, and the shortage of health care workers worsens.
MedStar Health: Telehealth and Beyond: Innovative Digital Health Services Improve Patient Care (9/20) - Before COVID-19, accessing health care services almost always involved a trip to the doctor’s office or hospital: Taking time off work, arranging for a ride, getting someone to watch the kids. Less than half of U.S. health centers had telehealth then, but during the pandemic, 95 percent of U.S. health centers adopted it to maintain continuity of care for patients. In this blog post, MedStar Health highlights the benefits of digital health solutions.
|