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 Veterans Health Administration 2016 telehealth initiative to distribute video-enabled tablets to veterans with mental healthcare access barriers appears to have increased overall continuity of mental health services, according to a recent study published in Psychiatry Online.
Humana is testing a virtual care app with its Medicare Advantage members, according to a Sept. 17 news release.
Texas Health Aetna, a health plan jointly owned by Texas Health Resources and Aetna, will begin offering more than 100,000 Northern Texas-based members free behavioral health services through its virtual care platform.
Gila Regional Medical Center in Silver City, N.M., recently acquired telemedicine neurology equipment to diagnose a stroke more quickly in emergency department patients, Silver City Daily Press reports.
A San Diego-based physician who received a heart transplant in 2017 now treats patients through telemedicine after he was restricted from providing in-person care, local ABC affiliate KGTV reports.
York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health deployed its new digital urgent care clinic for patients to access entirely online, local CBS affiliate WHP-TV reports.
Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Research Institute center was awarded $500,000 from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans' Assistance to help expand mental telehealth treatment.
PatientSafe Solutions recently announced their release of new functionalities within the PatientTouch Clinical Communication platform that enhances Physician privacy and on call schedule capabilities.
Cleveland Clinic launched its first telehealth-equipped neurology step down unit to support constant monitoring of epilepsy and stroke patients' brain activity.
Covenant Health Plainview in Texas implemented a two-way audio and video device that allows clinicians to continually monitor patients who require more constant watch, according to My Plainview.