Telehealth News and Market Developments
Healthcare IT News: Virtual Care Enables BrightView Health to Increase Outpatient Access (2/3) – BrightView Health, a behavioral health facility that specializes in addiction treatment and substance abuse, already was using telehealth when the COVID-19 pandemic and associated response happened. BrightView Health reflects how their facility enabled secure and seamless telehealth. Most notably, the facility ensured the technology set-up, Backline, allowed counseling and nursing teams to communicate with the patient either outside of their typical medical visit cadence, or in between for counseling. Backline has allowed BrightView Health to increase patient access to outpatient care and extended their reach into as many communities as possible.
mHealth Intelligence: How One FQHC is Using Telehealth, RPM to Alleviate Staffing Challenges (2/2) – The COVID-19 pandemic spurred numerous crises within the health care industry, including severe staffing shortages. Some organizations with limited resources, like federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), turned to telehealth and other virtual care modalities to mitigate the adverse effects of staff shortages and expand access to necessary care. Rainelle Medical Center, an FQHC in West Virginia, is among the health centers that have implemented a telehealth solution to help alleviate staff burnout and extend the existing workforce's ability to provide care. The telehealth solution has helped mitigate staffing challenges in various ways, including by allowing providers to conduct clinical visits virtually from their homes. With its virtual care resources in place, Rainelle has been able to manage care more effectively amid challenging staff shortages, ultimately enabling the organization to expand care access while breaking down patient-facing barriers.
Forbes: What The End Of The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency Will Mean For Older Adults (2/1) – President Biden’s announcement that the COVID-19 PHE will end on May 11 will have a significant impact on older adults. The use of virtual telehealth medical visits exploded after 2020 in large part because Medicare began paying for the care. An estimated 28 million Medicare beneficiaries had telehealth visits in just the first year of the pandemic. While major Medicare telehealth flexibilities were extended through the end of 2024, Congress will need to pass a separate law if Medicare is to continue paying for telehealth on a permanent basis.
Managed Healthcare Executive: Though Funding for Telehealth Is Declining, It Doesn't Mean All Virtual Care Isn't Investable (2/1) – It's been reported more often now that funding for telehealth has decreased and it will only continue to do so into the year. Funding has likely decreased because the video/virtual care medium has become a commodity. By accelerating access to the best medical expertise, virtual specialty care has become an emerging category supporting efficiency in a system that is rife with inefficiency and complexity. Virtual specialty care, when combined with technology and human-centric support, can deliver on meaningful return on investment for buyers and thus is increasingly seeing strong investor interest.
Medical Economics: Telehealth Groups Ask for Clarity on Remote Prescribing (2/1) – Many barriers on telehealth were lifted during the PHE, but may be reinstated when the PHE ends on May 11, 2023. Unfortunately, flexibilities allowing for remote prescribing of controlled substances, as part of the Ryan Haight Act, currently expire with the PHE. The DEA rule on special registration for prescribing of controlled substances via telemedicine was required by statute in 2008 and reiterated in 2018, but still has not been published. Without a plan in place, vulnerable populations will be left without continued care.
Provider Long Term and Post-Acute Care: Increased Use of Telemedicine Brings Numerous Benefits for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) (1/31) – In this opinion piece, Brian Carpenter, chief medical officer of telemedicine for Sound Physicians, shared his predictions on the increase of telemedicine use in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Specifically, he highlights that telemedicine is the only cost-effective means to increase access to physician services, assists in managing transfers to and from acute settings, and that SNF telemedicine increases access for both nurses and patients. The return on investment from SNF telemedicine can be seen by reduced hospital readmissions and lost bed days.
American Hospital Association (AHA): AHA Provides Feedback to Congress on Expanding Telehealth Legislation (1/31) – AHA submitted feedback to Congress on expanding telehealth provisions, which have expanded access to care during the COVID-19 PHE. Specifically, AHA highlights support for provisions to permanently eliminate originating and geographic site restrictions and expand eligible provider types; repeal the in-person visit requirement for behavioral telehealth and distant site restrictions on Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics; reimburse on a par with in-person visits; continue payment and coverage for audio-only services; remove unnecessary barriers to licensure; establish a DEA special registration process for administering controlled substances via telemedicine; and expand cross-agency collaboration on digital infrastructure and literacy initiatives.
Kaiser Health News: It’s ‘Telehealth vs. No Care’: Doctors Say Congress Risks Leaving Patients Vulnerable (1/31) – The pandemic brought about significant changes in access and coverage for telehealth, particularly for Medicare patients where telehealth visits were not previously covered. While the year-end Omnibus package extended major telehealth flexibilities in Medicare and the commercial market through the end of 2024, questions around permanent policy change persist. At issue are questions about the value and cost of telehealth, who will benefit from its use, and whether audio and video appointments should continue to be reimbursed at the same rate as in-person care. Other variables in discussion include those around licensure requirements for accessing care across state lines, which has been a particularly important access point for individuals in rural or underserved areas.
Business Wire: Telli Health and Senet Introduce Remote Patient Monitoring Product Line (1/31) – Senet, a cloud-based software and services platforms, and Telli Health, a medical remote patient monitoring device company, announced the launch of the first RPM hardware powered by LoRaWAN®. This technology will allow providers to reach more patients in remote and underserved areas - such as indigenous communities worldwide - boosting health care equity and inclusivity, and creating the foundation to provide more smart home services in the near future.
Forbes: Samsung Products May Soon Offer Telehealth (1/30) – Samsung announced a new partnership with IntelliTek Health, a company that developed a patient centered virtual assistant tool. The partnership’s goal is to use AI technology and digital voice assistance to enable health care providers to deploy their services through Samsung products. IntelliTek Health’s “Personal Virtual Assistant” (PVA) platform is its proprietary product which supports robust care delivery. In the right context and with time, Samsung may soon be able to deploy the PVA across its device ecosystem, including its line of highly advanced televisions, which are currently among the bestselling TVs in the United States. This could potentially unlock an entirely new level of customer access and reach.
Healthcare Finance: CVS Launching Virtual Primary Care Aimed at Mental Health Support (1/27) – Alliance board member CVS Health has launched Virtual Primary Care, a virtual care offering focused mainly on primary care and mental health services. Virtual Primary Care, which offers 24/7 on-demand care, is now available to Aetna commercial members nationwide who are enrolled in eligible fully insured and self-insured health plans. Members can schedule a primary care visit within days with a provider they select and access care for common illnesses and infections. Through the launch, CVS is also expanding its virtual mental health services.
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