Virtual care news, trends and reimbursement updates
Telehealth news covering program growth, utilization and payment. Becker's tracks telehealth reimbursement policy at the federal and state level and how virtual care fits into health system strategy.
Telehealth
The Federal Communications Commission approved its sixth wave of COVID-19 telehealth program applications, allotting $8.36 million to healthcare providers nationwide.
HHS on May 13 awarded $15 million to 159 provider organizations across five health workforce programs to increase telehealth services and training for clinicians in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zocdoc, a service that allows patients to schedule medical appointments online, launched a free telehealth video service on May 13.
Since its inception 97 years ago as the first multispecialty medical group in San Diego, Sharp Rees-Stealy has always been an innovative and forward-thinking organization.
Daniel Nimoy, MHA, Manager, Operational Excellence, Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers
Mount Sinai Health System physicians formed a 24/7 telemedicine-based palliative care support line for COVID-19 patients at six of the New York City-based system's hospitals, according to a May 12 NEJM study.
The number of virtual visits on the Veterans Health Administration's telehealth platform has skyrocketed from about 2,000 per day to 20,000, resulting in user issues for both patients and providers, Texas Public Radio reports.
The COVID-19 pandemic has ignited telemedicine adoption, progressing the technology much further along than some Mayo Clinic physicians and executives expected, according to WIZM News Talk.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed former Google CEO Eric Schmidt to lead a 15-member commission that will focus on the state's pandemic recovery efforts.
Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health will begin admitting up to 150 patients to its first virtual hospital on May 11, according to NBC affiliate KGET.
The Federal Communications Commission approved its fifth wave of COVID-19 telehealth program applications, funneling $11.19 million to providers including Mount Sinai Hospital and Kennedy Krieger Children's Hospital.