Telehealth News and Market Developments
Fierce Healthcare: (3/4) – A coalition of innovative health care companies launched an effort to fundamentally change the way policymakers think about the home as a site of clinical service. Moving Health Home says it has five policy priorities, and top of the list is pushing for Medicare coverage of higher-acuity home-based services, such as emergency services. The group also wants policymakers to create an extended care benefit that would serve as a home-based alternative for skilled nursing facility care.
Healthcare IT News: (3/3) – Since expansion of tele-ICU services, Yale New Haven Health has had more than 3,500 distinct video assessments performed by tele-ICU staff and more than 14,000 interventions ranging from ventilator management to restraint order compliance. "In two surveys of our patients and the public, we measured the adoption of and satisfaction with video visits," Sussman said. "From greater than 3,000 responses, 72% of patients indicated they had participated in a video visit, 75% reported the quality was excellent or good, and 74% said they might or would do it again. Sixty-four percent of people responded that the ability to do video visits is a primary consideration in their selection of a provider or hospital.
WIBW: (3/3) – Governor Laura Kelly of Kansas announced that the state allocated $3 million in funding from the COVID relief fund to community clinics for telehealth. Funds enabled the purchase of 40,000 devices for 18 health centers, allocated to the Community Care Network of Kansas to help FQHCs increase telehealth access and access to care across the state.
Reuters: (3/3) – The New York State Department of Health has partnered with telehealth company Ro to begin vaccinating individuals who cannot leave their homes during the pandemic. The program will help patients make vaccine appointments online, and a vaccinator will be sent to their home to administer the vaccine.
mHealth Intelligence: (3/2) – The Coalition to Protect Telehealth, a coalition of over 30 Illinois health care providers and groups that was formed to lobby state lawmakers to permanently expand telehealth access and coverage beyond COVID-19, announced support for a bill that would establish payment parity for telehealth services and eliminate geographic and facility restrictions on connected health delivery. The group argues that HB 3498, which is currently being considered by the state’s House of Representatives, would help the state address other gaps in care and ensure virtual care is held to the same standards and reimbursement rates as in-person care.
State of Reform: (3/2) – The California Assembly Committee on Health held an informational meeting on post-pandemic telehealth policy in the state. The hearing was held to discuss which policy changes made during the pandemic should be made permanent, and the Committee heard from a selection of witnesses on what the post-pandemic regulatory and payment landscape could look like for telehealth.
MGMA: (3/1) - MGMA submitted written testimony for the House Energy & Commerce Committee hearing on the future of telehealth and how COVID is changing the delivery of virtual care. In the letter, MGMA stated its support of congressional efforts to ensure Medicare beneficiaries have greater access to telehealth services but would like future legislation to take into account the importance of the patient-physician relationship. The letter includes several policy recommendations for the committee to improve such services moving forward.
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