Telehealth

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order declaring a public health emergency expired June 26, cutting off flexibilities for telehealth across the state, the Sun Sentinel reported. 

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra voiced his support for permanent telehealth expansions and reducing access barriers after the pandemic ends during The Washington Post's June 24 virtual event on digital health. 

Twenty-two states adjusted laws or policies during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase insurance coverage for telemedicine services, according to a recent report from the Commonwealth Fund. 

The pandemic forced an unprecedented number of older Americans to buy new tech devices, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are using them, Kaiser Health News reported June 24.

Brightline, a virtual care platform focussing on bringing mental healthcare to children, has secured $72 million from investors, including Optum and Google.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will keep virtual care available to veterans after the pandemic ends, according to a June 23 report by The Military Times.

During the pandemic, out of necessity, the adoption and use of telehealth grew exponentially. Health systems that already had telehealth programs rapidly expanded these offerings, while other health systems sprinted to implement virtual care capabilities. This resulted in a dramatic…

The Federal Communications Commission on June 17 awarded $31 million in funding to 32 healthcare organizations as a part of its $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program, which funds telehealth projects developed by providers across the country.

Remote care monitoring platform Current Health is the latest organization to join Moving Health Home, a healthcare coalition founded by Amazon Care, Intermountain and Ascension, Current Health said June 15. 

Convenience and infection control are the top reasons patients opt for telehealth appointments, while the lack of human interaction and connectivity issues are the aspects they find most challenging, according to recent research from Deloitte.