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
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente said it is closing some medical office buildings and consolidating to fewer locations in some of its service areas as it postpones some appointments and expands the use of virtual visits.
After multiple telehealth startups began marketing direct-to-consumer coronavirus testing kits, the FDA has issued an alert noting that is has not authorized any such tests, which may "pose serious health risks."
Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health launched its virtual hospital program March 23 to treat patients who test positive for COVID-19 in their homes, according to the Charlotte Business Journal.
In his debut book, Malcolm Gladwell talked about tipping points, the period in time when an idea or trend galvanizes so completely that its spread is unstoppable.
Christine Stetler, RN, Principal Solutions Architect, Allscripts FollowMyHealth
The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance on March 23 ordered that all state health insurers, HMOs, health service corporations and health benefits plans reimburse providers for telehealth visits during the coronavirus pandemic.
Amazon and Sprint have selected Seat Pleasant, Md., as their new city where the companies will launch a $200 million nationwide disease surveillance and chronic disease management telehealth program, according to a March 21 news release.
University of Washington Medicine and Seattle Children's Hospital are just a few of the organizations joining Amazon Care in delivering at-home coronavirus test kits to people in the Seattle area, CNBC reports.
The FDA on March 20 issued a new policy in response to the coronavirus pandemic that allows manufacturers to expand their use of remote monitoring devices so healthcare providers can issue them to patients.
As COVID-19 has spread to every state in the U.S. and increased testing reveals exponential growth in the number of infected patients, Bright.md has helped health systems evaluate and treat tens of thousands of patients with its virtual care delivery…
In Collaboration with Bright.md
CMS on March 20 released two digital toolkits on telehealth complete with resources specific to general practitioners as well as providers treating patients with end-stage renal disease.