Telehealth News and Market Developments
mHealth Intelligence: (2/11) – Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced his proposed budget for 2021-2023, which included an emphasis on expanding telehealth services for mental health care. The budget contained over $150 million for mental health programs, including investments in connected health services to improve access and coverage to mental health services in the state. Governor Evers also recommended that the state embrace payment parity for telehealth services.
Fierce Healthcare: (2/10) – San Diego-based Equip, a startup providing online eating disorder therapy has raised $13 million as investors ramp up funding for virtual care providers that target specific behavioral health conditions. The series A round was led by Optum Ventures.
Healthcare IT News: (2/10) – Three CIOs, a CMIO and a CHIO describe how their new investments and digital transformation strategies point the way to a healthier 2021 – including making digital connection the new normal, taking digital transformation to the next level.
Hoy Health: (2/9) – Hoy Health has developed a bilingual RPM program that provides all the needed software, chronic condition testing kits and supplies, and the remote patient monitoring from the patient's home to assure that the patient engagement and continuous compliance/adherence occurs at a low cost and without the need for the patient to visit a clinic.
Journal of Clinical Pathways: (2/9) – A blog posted by Discern Health highlights the Alliance’s joint effort with the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and the American Telemedicine Association on the Taskforce on Telehealth Policy to issue recommendations for adapting care standards to improve access to and quality of remote care.
mHealth Intelligence: (2/9) – Telehealth “is often the right use case in our space,” says Ann Schnure, vice president of telemedicine at Concentra, one of the largest occupational health providers in the country. “A lot of the injuries are low acuity, and people need to see the right kind of clinician for that injury.” Concentra's telehealth service, launched in 2017, is seeing more than 8,000 virtual visits a month, and helping both the injured worker and the company find better health outcomes.
mHealth Intelligence: (2/9) – Florida State Senator Jason Brodeur introduced a bill last month (S. 852) which would allow Medicaid coverage for asynchronous telehealth and remote patient monitoring. The bill would give Medicaid the option to reimburse for such services, which have seen rapid adoption in the state during the pandemic and helped improve access to care for patients.
OA Online: (2/9) – The Massachusetts FQHC Telehealth Consortium was awarded a $3.1 million grant by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase telemedicine capacity in community health centers across the state. The grant will be used to increase bandwidth at member health center sites and provide mobile hotspots for patients, as well as allow for the delivery of mental health services and substance use disorder treatment to over 75,000 health center patients in the state through remote patient monitoring and video visits.
Healthcare IT News: (2/8) – St. John’s Well Child and Family Center in Los Angeles, California used telehealth and remote patient monitoring to reduce health care disparities during the pandemic. The populations typically served by this health center experience high comorbidities and higher levels of poverty. By securing RPM devices to track patients and establishing a robust telehealth system, the health center completed 93,000 telehealth visits since April 2020 and served over 56,000 patients.
mHealth Intelligence: (2/8) – An article in mHealth Intelligence highlights the recently re-introduced Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment (TREAT) Act and notes the Alliance’s support of the legislation, including our January letter to policymakers calling for greater access to telehealth across state lines.
Fast Company: (2/8) – The adoption of telehealth during the pandemic is sure to upend the way we receive care from our doctors, says Roy Schoenberg, CEO of Amwell, whether we stay with our standard primary care physicians or embrace online-only telehealth systems. “It changes the fabric of how health relationships are actually being maintained.”
Healthcare IT News: (2/8) – St. John's Well Child and Family Center in Los Angeles has completed 93,000 telehealth visits since April 2020, serving more than 56,000 patients. "Adding telemedicine to our menu of service modalities has increased the number of new patients we can serve while increasing access for existing patients who do not require an in-person visit," said Jim Mangia, president and CEO of the center.
Inside Sources: (2/7) – Intermountain Healthcare president and CEO Marc Harrison issued an op-ed noting the acceleration of telehealth use during COVID-19 and highlights the benefits including quality, cost and access.
Blessing Health System: (2/5) – Blessing Health System has launched a new virtual care program allowing patients diagnosed with COVID-19 to recover safely from home under the watchful eye of the Blessing care team. The Blessing Enhanced COVID Recovery Program will use a combination of remote patient monitoring and telehealth technology.
|