Telehealth News and Market Developments
Inside Telehealth: Administration Urges Employer Plans to Keep Telehealth Benefits Post-PHE (4/11) - The Administration is urging employers to maintain coverage of telehealth and other remote care services once the PHE ends May 11. However, employers will no longer have to offer stand-alone telehealth benefits for their part-time workers in plans after the end of the PHE. James Gelfand, president of the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), which represents employers that offer self-insured group plans, expects plans and carriers to continue covering telehealth for their full-time employees.
Healthcare IT News: Lehigh Valley Streamlines Emergency Department (ED) Triage with Virtual Doctors and Nurses (4/11) - Lehigh Valley Health Network began using telehealth to mobilize resources to optimize a patient’s waiting time – while reducing the number of patients leaving the ED without being seen. The Pennsylvania health system has seen a reduction in the percentage of patients who leave the emergency department without being seen, thanks to its telehealth program.
Modern Healthcare: Autism Providers Look to Telehealth to Bridge Access Gaps (4/11) - Rising autism diagnoses are causing increased demand for applied behavioral analysis, a therapy also known as ABA that provides one-to-one services primarily for children with autism. That demand has strained the short supply of specialists. For families in areas with few providers and disproportionately high autism rates, children can wait more than a year before a professional is available. Technology, especially telehealth, may be a solution to bridging this gap, which is why more applied behavioral analysis providers are testing this model while offering personalized services and rethinking reimbursement strategies.
Roll Call: DEA Proposal Sparks Concerns About Access to Telehealth (4/10) - Members of Congress and advocates worry a proposed rule from the DEA will make it harder for people to access a medication commonly used to treat opioid use disorder. Providers said the pandemic-era flexibility worked, allowing them to expand access to the life saving-drug and keep patients in treatment. It was particularly helpful for people who lacked transportation or lived in areas with shortages of doctors. They say the flexibility should continue after the PHE ends next month.
CVS Health: Aetna and Oshi Collaborate to Provide Virtual Care for Digestive Disorders (4/6) - Aetna and Oshi Health announced a value-based collaboration which will provide Aetna commercial members with in-network access to Oshi's integrated multidisciplinary care teams for high-touch care and specialized treatment to achieve lasting control over chronic digestive conditions. Patients connect with specialized providers via telehealth visits, their care plan is continuously informed and refined by monitoring their symptoms, food intake and bowel movements, and a health coach provides ongoing messaging and support to make sustainable lifestyle changes. Oshi coordinates with high-quality local health care providers when procedures or in-person care is required. For additional coverage, see Inside Telehealth.
PR Newswire: Behavioral Health Teletherapy Program Supports Elementary and Junior-Senior High School Students in Rural Maine (4/5) - A collaborative effort coordinated by MCD Global Health (MCD) gives students and staff at Woodland Elementary and Woodland Junior-Senior High School in Maine access to virtual behavioral health services and other needed resources. The program, which started as a pilot in spring of 2022, trains local residents as Community Health Workers and Service Navigators. The Navigators link students and families with needed resources to ensure all students who could benefit from behavioral health services have access to those services either in-person or via behavioral telehealth. For additional coverage, see mHealth Intelligence.
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