Innovative solution will help improve patient access and drive efficiencies in care delivery

The pandemic accelerated a shift to virtual care, shining a light on the potential of this technology to transform care delivery and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, hospitals and health systems raced to figure out how to continue to allow patients access to care. With the pandemic's end getting closer, it leaves many unsure what telehealth services will stick around.

UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum has deployed a new telehealth product across all 50 states, company leaders said April 15.

The FCC will begin accepting applications April 29 for the second round of its COVID-19 telehealth program.

A slew of telehealth companies including SOC Telemed, SteadyMD and Everly Health have hired in-house legal talent during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 15 Bloomberg report.

Health insurers Harvard Pilgrim, Kaiser Permanente and Priority Health each launched lower-cost, telehealth-first plans in 2020 and have reported varying rates of adoption, according to an April 15 NEJM Catalyst report. 

Kansas hospitals and physicians are urging state lawmakers to require payers to keep reimbursing telehealth services at the same rate as in-person services even after the pandemic ends, according to an April 13 High Plains Public Radio report.

Small physician practices view the rise in virtual care models, including telemedicine and other remote consultations, as a threat to their business, a new analysis published in the National Library of Medicine suggests.

The FDA is lifting restrictions on dispensing abortion pills by the mail, reversing a long-standing policy that they must be given to patients in person, according to an April 12 Politico article.