State Telehealth Activity
State of Reform: (5/20) – Continuing access to telehealth remains a top priority in the state of Maryland. At the 2021 State of Reform Maryland Health Policy, health care professionals from Johns Hopkins Medicine, Sheppard Pratt Community Services, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group and Maryland State Dental Association joined a conversation to discuss their respective experiences with telehealth during the pandemic and areas where telehealth services can further improve.
mHealth Intelligence: (5/20) – The California Medical Association (CMA) is challenging Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to set Medicaid reimbursement for audio-only telehealth at 65 percent, saying providers should be reimbursed at the same rate for in-person care. This provision was included in the proposed 2021-2022 state budget. CMA believes telehealth has been critical for reducing health care disparities for Medi-Cal beneficiaries and is working to ensure payment parity continues.
mHealth Intelligence: (5/19) – Telehealth advocates are applauding Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont’s extension of pandemic-related telehealth coverage for another two years, as this will enable providers to develop more long-term strategies for providing telehealth services in the state. House Bill 5596, extends an emergency order that allows a variety of providers to practice telehealth, permits audio-only telehealth, and allows licensed providers from other states to treat Connecticut residents via telehealth through June 30, 2023. Governor Lamont said that telehealth has been critical for patients in the state throughout the pandemic and it makes sense to allow such services to continue.
mHealth Intelligence: (5/17) – Androscoggin Home Healthcare & Hospice, a Maine health care provider, has found that remote patient monitoring can produce meaningful results that go beyond clinical outcomes through its use of telehealth and mHealth tools over the last two decades. The provider uses tablets and some wireless devices to track vital signs and adjust care management when changes are noticed, which became even more critical during the pandemic to address social isolation. AndroPeerConnects was launched to address this, and enables volunteers to check in with patients via telehealth.
News 7: (5/16) – Maine, like many other states, is considering legislation to expand telehealth in the state. Senator Heather Sanborn proposed a bill to guarantee Maine health care providers have a right to provide telehealth services in the future and would allow health care licensing boards to create rules and practices for health care workers. The bill, which is expected to be considered in committee, would also add language to health care licensing board statutes to guarantee providers have a right to provide it.
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