Telehealth

The Federal Communications Commission has approved three waves of COVID-19 telehealth program applications, funneling $9.5 million in funding to healthcare providers across 10 states. 

Optum is trying to purchase a virtual therapy provider for $470 million, according to CNBC.

The commonwealth of Massachusetts teamed up with Doctor on Demand to provide free virtual visits to state residents who lack health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Georgia reopens some businesses and loosens social distancing restrictions, Gov. Brian Kemp is expanding free access to a telehealth app to screen, test and treat Georgia COVID-19 patients.

Phoenix Children's Hospital developed a digital dashboard last month that allowed clinicians, administrators and schedulers to transition 6,000 weekly appointments from in-person to telemedicine after stay-at-home orders were issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While numerous health insurers and state regulators have eliminated telemedicine copays and deductibles during the pandemic, some patients are claiming they are being charged up front for audio and video-based appointments, according to Kaiser Health News. 

From relaxed federal regulations to expanded insurance coverage, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven several changes for clinicians providing telehealth services.

The Trump administration on April 23 released a toolkit that offers resources and guidance to help states expand telehealth coverage policies for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a drop in patient volumes and technical issues arising with telehealth, some healthcare providers are struggling to get paid for virtual visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Forty-eight percent of physicians are using telemedicine technology to continue treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent Merritt Hawkins report.