Telehealth

Fourteen million members in Cigna's employer-sponsored health plans can now talk and text with on-demand licensed therapists through a partnership with online and mobile therapy company Talkspace. 

Centene announced this week it will waive all cost sharing for telehealth visits for its nearly 1 million Medicare Advantage plans throughout the rest of 2020. 

The Federal Communications Commission approved its seventh wave of COVID-19 telehealth program applications, issuing $16.87 million to healthcare providers nationwide.

To keep up with the high demand of telehealth, virtual care provider Amwell announced May 20 that it has raised $194 million in funding.

Despite approving more than $50 million in telehealth funding through its COVID-19 relief program, the Federal Communications Commission had sent funds to only one provider as of May 19, according to Politico's May 20 Morning eHealth newsletter.

Pittsburgh-based UPMC launched a new artificial intelligence tool that records and analyzes clinician and patient voices during a virtual visit to create a post-visit summary for patients.

Pittsburgh-based UPMC's infectious disease telemedicine company is combining with drugmaker Merck's infectious disease technology and services management provider ILÚM Health Solutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for telehealth, which is anticipated to rise 64.3 percent in 2020, according to a recent Frost & Sullivan report. 

Amazon is extending its telehealth benefit beyond its employees at Seattle-area offices to include warehouse workers near its headquarters, according to CNBC.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $71 million to provide broadband service to underserved rural areas in Kansas and Oklahoma, according to High Plains Journal.