What you need to know about standing up a virtual nursing unit Bill Siwicki February 15, 2022 Jennifer Ball, RN, director of virtual care at Saint Luke's Health System of Kansas City, describes the workings and many benefits of the telehealth approach. The U.S. nursing shortage has reached critical levels during the pandemic battle, paired with an aging population. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for 1.1 million new RNs for expansion and replacement of retirees. To serve its inpatient population and overcome the nursing shortage, St. Luke's Health System of Kansas City has developed an innovative approach leveraging virtual care. The organization created and implemented one of the nation's first virtual nursing units to reduce the burden on bedside nurses and much more. In her HIMSS22 educational session entitled "Lessons Learned from Launching a Virtual Nursing Unit," Jennifer Ball, RN, director of virtual care at Saint Luke's Health System of Kansas City will offer attendees next month a deep dive into the workings of the virtual nursing unit. She has been a nurse for 35 years, with a clinical background in ICU, trauma and ED, and has 25 years of experience in nursing management. To read the full article: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/what-you-need-know-about-standing-virtual-nursing-unit < Previous News Next News >

Teledentistry – Lights. Camera. Open Wide. By Trudy Bearden April 7, 2021 The American Dental Association (ADA) Policy on Teledentistry notes that services delivered via teledentistry must be consistent with how they would be delivered in-person. Well… not quite; but it may not be what you think. I’m not here to make the case about the importance of good oral health, the impacts of poor oral health on overall health and chronic disease, the potential to lower health care costs and our countless opportunities to integrate oral health into health care services. Rather I ask that you join me to learn just a bit more about what teledentistry is and how it can be used to expand access, provide education and elevate team-based care. Teledentistry. The American Dental Association (ADA) Policy on Teledentistry notes that services delivered via teledentistry must be consistent with how they would be delivered in-person. According to the ADA, teledentistry includes patient care and patient education delivery using (but not limited to) four modalities: Synchronous (live video) – use of audio and video for real-time communication Asynchronous (store and forward) – secure electronic transmission of radiographs, photos, video, digital impressions or photomicrographs, etc. to evaluate, render an opinion or service or develop a treatment plan Remote physiologic monitoring – electronic transmission of physiologic data (e.g., weight, oxygen saturation, blood glucose levels) Mobile health (mHealth) – sharing of education and/or information by mobile communications or use of apps (e.g., reminds or monitors oral hygiene activities) Store and forward. Dental hygienists can assess the mouths of patients, chart areas of concern, decay or periodontal disease, take high-resolution photographs and x-rays and transmit that information to a dentist who can review the materials and develop a treatment plan for a patient. Expand access. In rural areas with shortages of dentists, primary care clinics can “bring” a dentist or other oral health specialist into the exam room by synchronous (live video) communication to assess and discuss a dental issue and subsequent treatment plan for a patient. This is a far superior option than just prescribing antibiotics and pain medications, which may end with the patient in the emergency department. Education. Using a synchronous modality, there are ample opportunities for providing oral health education to patients and families, those in dentistry, those in the medical field, teams considering oral health integration and more. While there are several teledentistry modalities available, the following are the high leverage applications: Using store and forward technology for dental hygienists and others on dental and medical care teams Including dentists and other oral health and dental specialists (e.g., orthodontist) to join primary care office visits Using synchronous and asynchronous (e.g., secure messaging/email) options for provider-to-provider consults Providing synchronous and broad oral health education What’s in it for us and ours? How do we harness teledentistry to improve oral health? As an individual, it’s reasonable to ask your dentist what they are doing or are planning to do to implement or expand teledentistry to know whether there are additional options for you. If delivering health care services to patients, whether in the outpatient, inpatient, specialist, long-term service supports or elsewhere, we should: Know what the teledentistry options are in our area, especially if we are in a rural area with a shortage of dentists Ensure that all patients have a dental home and are receiving preventive and curative dental services – by teledentistry if necessary and available to them Consider an oral health education program that is delivered virtually or remotely and/or includes mHealth or app-based options If you are particularly passionate about the potential of teledentistry, know the barriers in your state and area and find ways to overcome those barriers, which include parity of coverage, parity of payment, and statutes governing teledentistry in your state. Checking this interactive map from the Center for Connected Health Policy is a good starting place. Adequate and access to bandwidth and provider, patient and family buy-in can be significant factors as well. Either way – let’s get our teeth into teledentistry and do what we can to leverage the full range of options to help individuals optimize their oral health. Interactive map: https://www.cchpca.org/ < Previous News Next News >

Telehealth Industry Expected to Grow from $26.4 Billion in 2020 to $70.19 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 17.7% DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE) August 5, 2020 The present situation of COVID-19 has a great impact on the Telehealth market, where home care services are increasing through the modes of telehealth services. Information is passed through telecommunication where a patient can access the treatment from the clinician and can take advice without approaching to the doctor and without going out for the hospital. This situation gives immense opportunity for the telehealth market players. Market Highlights The Telehealth Market is estimated to reach USD 70.19 billion by 2026, from USD 26.4 billion in 2020 and registering a CAGR of ~17.7% during the forecast period. The growing technologies in the telecommunications sector to reach the patients in time play a major role in the telehealth services, which raise the growth in the Telehealth market. Based on the application of Telehealth - Telehealth services market is segmented into three segments, including Teleradiology, Tele-consultation, Tele-ICU, Tele-stroke, Tele-psychiatry, and Tele-dermatology. Teleradiology had achieved a major share in the telehealth market in the last year due to increasing mental health issues among people. The insufficient health services providers give the scope of opportunities in the telehealth industry to fulfill the demand of the end-users. The market components cover the segments of Software & Services and Hardware. The segment of software & services accounted for the larger share of the global telehealth market in 2019. Telehealth market based on the end-user segment classified into Providers, Payers, and Patients. The end-users, such as providers segment accounted for the largest share in 2019. Telehealth segmentation is based on geography includes North America, Europe, APAC, and RoW. North America accounts for the largest share in the telehealth market in the entire world. The Telehealth market is growing enormously in the region of North American countries, which is very advanced in the technological perspective and in the advanced medical facilities. The increase of chronic diseases like cancer, asthma, and other diseases driving the adoption of the home healthcare services to avoid the expensive costs charged by hospitals, these are some aspects which increased the growth in the telehealth market in this region. In the last recent years, Europe is also another region in the telehealth market region where market players experienced tremendous growth due to knowing the awareness of remote monitoring and healthcare from home. The telehealth market is expanding globally during the forecasting period. The factors which give opportunities for this market are lack of physicians, increasing chronic diseases that need immediate attention from the physicians. However, the reimbursement or coverage of the fee, illiteracy of some people who cannot adopt the current advanced telecommunication are the challenges faced by the telehealth market. Key Players in the Telehealth Market The key players in the market are Teladoc, Doctor on Demand, GE Healthcare, SnapMD, Encounter Telehealth, GlobalMed, HelloMD, MDLIVE Inc, InTouch Technologies, Dictum Health, Inc., LLC, and American Well. Globally, advancements in the technologies and growing awareness of remote services increased the demand for telehealth services. In the coming future, emerging countries/regions play an important role in the telehealth services market. This study will help the market players to understand the key market trends, market dynamics, and end-users pain-points. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the study will enhance the user experience of the study. The competitive analysis of the major players enables users to understand the dynamic strategies such as technology innovation, partnerships, merger & acquisitions and joint ventures of the key players This report also provides the portfolio analysis and capability analysis of the leading players. Quantitative analysis of the market enables users to understand the actual facts of the market across four major regions. Companies Mentioned AMC Health American Well Asahi Kasei Corporation Cerner Corporation Chiron Health Cisco Systems E Healthcare Imediplus Iron Bow Technologies Koninklijke Philips Medtronic Medvivo Group Medweb Siemens Healthineers AG Teladoc Health Telespecialists Vsee Zipnosis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kyppo0 Contacts ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 < Previous News Next News >

Endocrine Society Provides Guidance for Appropriate Use of Telehealth Mark Melchionna October 07, 2022 The Endocrine Society published a policy perspective covering various factors, such as clinical and patient factors, which could help determine subjective care needs and whether telehealth use is appropriate. October 07, 2022 - Aiming to enhance personalized care, the Endocrine Society created a policy perspective containing five aspects of care that can help clinicians decide when using telehealth is appropriate. With 18,000 members spread across 122 countries, the Endocrine Society is focused on promoting efforts to treat all hormone-related conditions, including diabetes, obesity, and hormone-related cancers. Amid the rapid growth of telehealth that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare stakeholders anticipate that telehealth will continue to pave its way into various aspects of clinical care. Published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the Endocrine Society policy perspective describes five aspects of care that can assist the process of determining when telehealth is appropriate. “Clinicians will need to draw upon their own knowledge of each patient and their clinical goals to decide when to incorporate telehealth into their care,” said the policy perspective's first author Varsha G. Vimalananda, MD, a physician-scientist at the VA Bedford Healthcare System and an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, in a press release. “Telehealth visits can be considered as an option each time we schedule an appointment. Patient preference should be elicited, and decisions guided by weighing the factors we describe in the perspective piece.” The five aspects of care to be considered when deciding whether telehealth is appropriate for a patient are clinical factors including whether an in-person exam is necessary, patient factors such as access to transportation and comfort level with technology, the patient-clinician relationship, the physical surroundings of the clinician, and the availability of infrastructure needed for telehealth visits. Telehealth is playing an increasingly valuable role in a personalized healthcare, but physicians and patients need to discuss how it fits into the care plan they are deciding on, according to the policy perspective. "Moving forward, endocrine care is likely to involve a hybrid of in-person and telehealth visits, and thus the decision to use telehealth for any given patient will not be made at a single time point but rather considered in a longitudinal context," the perspective states. Previous studies have indicated that various benefits that arose from telehealth expansion. For example, a study published in September found that increased telehealth use during the pandemic led to a drop in opioid overdose risk. Researchers studied data from before and during the pandemic, which indicated that the likelihood of receiving opioid use disorder services and medications was higher in the mid-pandemic patient group that had increased access to telehealth. Further, telehealth continues to be used widely across the country. Recent data from FAIR Health shows that telehealth use rose 1.9 percent nationally from June to July and that it increased in three of the four US census regions: the Midwest, the South, and the West. See original article: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/endocrine-society-provides-guidance-for-appropriate-use-of-telehealth < Previous News Next News >

New Wave of Federal Bipartisan Bills to Expand Telehealth Center for Connected Health Policy June 2021 A good majority of the recently introduced bills focus on increasing telehealth reimbursement, however a few look to increase funding for telehealth services and infrastructure. At present, CCHP is tracking over 100 pieces of telehealth legislation in the current federal legislative session. This month we have seen a number of bipartisan bills introduced, continuing the federal push to expand telehealth availability and codify flexibilities allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). A good majority of the recently introduced bills focus on increasing telehealth reimbursement, however a few look to increase funding for telehealth services and infrastructure. It is notable the significant amount of support from both sides of the aisle for telehealth. For instance, representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) introduced the Rural Remote Monitoring Patient Act (HR 4008) that would establish a pilot grant program to support the use of remote patient monitoring in rural areas. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced as part of a package of telehealth bills a reintroduction of a bill similar to legislation from 2020 titled the Telehealth Health Savings Account (HSA) Act (S 2097). The Telehealth HSA Act would allow employers to offer high-deductible health plans that include telehealth services without limiting employees’ ability to use health savings accounts. According to Kennedy’s press release, “a current IRS regulation stops employees from making or receiving contributions to HSAs if they hold a high-deductible health plan that waives the deductible for telehealth services, meaning employees holding high-deductible health plans often need to pay out of pocket for telehealth services. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act (HR 748) temporarily waived this regulation, but S 2110 would make the waiver permanent.” We have also seen a few of the recent bills look at audio-only and codifying pandemic telehealth flexibilities. The Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act (S 1988) by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and also sponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), would: *Allow payment parity for audio-only telehealth services *Make permanent the ability for patients to be treated at home *Let rural health clinics (RHCs) and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) serve as distant sites for telehealth services The Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021 by Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), introduced with Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI), makes the following permanent changes: *Removes originating site and geographical limitations *Maintains telehealth flexibilities for RHCs/FQHCs *Expands coverage for audio-only services *Removes restrictions that limit clinicians’ ability to remotely monitor and track patient health and provide them access to innovative digital devices Additionally, we have seen bipartisan support around broadband legislation, such as from Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who recently introduced legislation which seeks to address the digital divide. Their Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy (BRIDGE) Act of 2021 would allow states to deploy “future-proof” networks able to meet communities’ broadband needs, including supporting local initiatives on affordability, adoption, and inclusion. According to Bennet’s press release, The BRIDGE Act would: *Provide $40 billion to States, Tribal Governments, and U.S. Territories for affordable, high- speed broadband *Prioritize unserved, underserved, and high-cost areas with investments in “future proof” networks *Encourage gigabit-level internet wherever possible while raising the minimum speeds for new broadband networks to at least 100/100 Mbps, with flexibility for areas where this is technologically or financially impracticable *Emphasize affordability and inclusion by requiring at least one affordable option *Increase choice and competition by empowering local and state decision-making, lifting bans against municipal broadband networks, and allowing more entities to compete for funding Lastly, additional information was just released regarding Cures 2.0 – another bipartisan bill, which creates the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a President Biden budget request proposal. According to a discussion draft and section-by-section summary, Cures 2.0 will address a variety of areas, including telehealth access, while incorporating and building upon several additional bipartisan bills, such as the Telehealth Improvement for Kids’ Essential Services (TIKES) Act (H.R. 1397 / S. 1798) and Telehealth Modernization Act (H.R. 1332 / S. 368). The telehealth provisions proposed in Cures 2.0 include: *Review the impact of telehealth on patient health and encourage better collaboration *Provide guidance and strategies to states on effectively integrating telehealth into their Medicaid program and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) *Make many of the COVID-19 PHE flexibilities post-pandemic permanent, such as: -Removing the geographic and originating site restrictions -Expanding the range of health care providers that can be reimbursed by Medicare for furnishing telehealth services to any health care professional eligible to bill Medicare -Enhancing telehealth services for use by FQHCs, RHCs, hospices, and for home dialysis The authors anticipate that the Cures 2.0 bill will be introduced in the coming weeks and hope to see it signed in the fall. While the fate of these telehealth bills is yet to be seen, it does seem to highlight strong federal support for expanding access to telehealth post PHE with such a large amount of bipartisanship support behind them. Given Medicare’s historically conservative approach in regard to telehealth pre-PHE, any additional shift would be significant. CCHP will continue to update its tracking tools and monitor the ever evolving telehealth landscape as we continue to move through the current federal legislative session. < Previous News Next News >

COVID-19 Policy Playbook Recommends Removal of Telehealth Restrictions for OUD Treatment Center for Connected Health Policy May 2021 Legal recommendations for a safer more equitable future Researchers from the Network for Public Health Law have published a COVID-19 Policy Playbook, that outlines legal recommendations for a safer more equitable future. Chapter 18 of the playbook features access issues to treat individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). The chapter outlines several of the federal concessions made for telehealth during the PHE, including the ability to utilize non-public facing audio-visual communication technology regardless of their level of HIPAA compliance, and the ability to prescribe controlled substances, particularly buprenorphine via telemedicine. They also note that states have made similar flexibilities available at the state level in many cases. The chapter concludes with a list of recommendations, including the following: *The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) should permit treatment to be initiated via telehealth *Restrictions should be removed on who can receive treatment via telehealth. *States should authorize provision of buprenorphine via telehealth where applicable. COVID-19 Policy Playbook: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5956e16e6b8f5b8c45f1c216/t/6064ad386b6e756cabb56f96/1617210684660/COVIDPolicyPlaybook-March2021.pdf < Previous News Next News >

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Availability of Up To $500 Million in Emergency Rural Health Care Funds Under the American Rescue Plan U.S. Department of Agriculture August 2021 Funding Will Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines, Health Care Services and Food Assistance in Rural America The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making up to $500 million available in grants to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services and nutrition assistance. President Biden’s comprehensive plan to recover the economy and deliver relief to the American people is changing the course of the pandemic and providing immediate relief to millions of households, growing the economy and addressing the stark, intergenerational inequities that have worsened in the wake of COVID-19. “Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, USDA is playing a critical role to help rural America build back better and equitably as the nation continues to respond to the pandemic,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “Through the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants, USDA will help rural hospitals and local communities increase access to COVID-19 vaccines and testing, medical supplies, telehealth, and food assistance, and support the construction or renovation of rural health care facilities. These investments will also help improve the long-term viability of rural health care providers across the nation.” Background: Beginning today, applicants may apply for two types of assistance: Recovery Grants and Impact Grants. The Biden-Harris Administration is making Recovery Grants available to help public bodies, nonprofit organizations and tribes provide immediate COVID-19 relief to support rural hospitals, health care clinics and local communities. These funds may be used to increase COVID-19 vaccine distribution and telehealth capabilities; purchase medical supplies; replace revenue lost during the pandemic; build and rehabilitate temporary or permanent structures for health care services; support staffing needs for vaccine administration and testing; and support facility and operations expenses associated with food banks and food distribution facilities. Recovery Grant applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funds are expended. The Administration also is making Impact Grants available to help regional partnerships, public bodies, nonprofits and tribes solve regional rural health care problems and build a stronger, more sustainable rural health care system in response to the pandemic. USDA encourages applicants to plan and implement strategies to: -develop health care systems that offer a blend of behavioral care, primary care and other medical services; -support health care as an anchor institution in small communities; and -expand telehealth, electronic health data sharing, workforce development, transportation, paramedicine, obstetrics, behavioral health, farmworker health care and cooperative home care. Impact Grant applications must be submitted to your local USDA Rural Development State Office by 4:00 p.m. local time on Oct. 12, 2021. For additional information, please see the notice (PDF, 343 KB) in today’s Federal Register. USDA encourages potential applicants to review the application guide at www.rd.usda.gov/erhc. USDA Rural Development is prioritizing projects that will support key priorities under the Biden-Harris Administration to help rural America build back better and stronger. Key priorities include combatting the COVID-19 pandemic; addressing the impacts of climate change; and advancing equity in rural America. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov . If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page. USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov . < Previous News Next News >

Access to Care, Health Equity Lagging in the US; Is Telehealth Safer Than In-Person Care? Jacqueline LaPointe August 2021 The US ranked last when it came to access to care, health equity, and other measurements of healthcare, while telehealth may prove to be a safer option for patients. Right now, the US may boast the most medals from the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. However, new research shows that the country is lagging in most healthcare metrics, including access to care and health equity. In other news, data suggests that telehealth could be a safer option for patients and small businesses look to self-funding options. US SPENDS THE MOST, BUT COMES OUT LAST The United States ranked last on measurements of health equity, access to care, administrative efficiency, and healthcare outcomes compared to ten other wealthy nations, the Commonwealth Fund recently reported. Yet, the US still spent the most of its gross domestic products on healthcare. Additionally, the US lagged behind comparable countries in terms of healthcare affordability. “U.S. disparities are especially large when looking at financial barriers to accessing medical and dental care, medical bill burdens, difficulty obtaining after-hours care, and use of web portals to facilitate patient engagement,” the report stated. The only measure the US performed favorably on was in the care process domain, which researchers attributed to the success of preventive care and patient engagement. IS TELEHEALTH SAFER THAN THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE? According to a new study, the answer is yes, at least when it comes to flu season. Researchers from the University of Minnesota, Harvard, and athenahealth found that people who went to the doctor’s office after someone infected with the flu had visited were much more likely to get the virus themselves. However, that increase was not seen in people seeking treatment for medical issues like UTIs. The data indicates that telehealth and other means of virtual care can reduce the chance of infection among patients. “Our findings highlight the importance of infection control practices and continued access to telemedicine services, as health care begins to return to pre-pandemic patterns,” Hannah Neprash, an assistant professor at UM’s School of Public Health and one of the study’s authors, said in a news release issued by the university. "In-person outpatient care for influenza may promote nontrivial transmission of these viruses. This may be true for other endemic respiratory illnesses too, including COVID-19, but more research is needed." SMALL BUSINESSES EYE LEVEL, SELF-FUNDING FOR EMPLOYEE COVERAGE A new trend is emerging among small businesses. A recent study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that small businesses are shifting toward level- and self-funding for healthcare insurance coverage over the individual health insurance marketplace. This shift occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly because employers were less inclined to deny needed coverage to workers. Additionally, health benefits are one of the few ways small businesses can compete with their larger peers in this worker-driven environment. But the trend could change with implementation of the American Rescue Plan’s new individual health insurance marketplace subsidies. CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL USES DATA ANALYTICS TO IDENTIFY CARE GAPS Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago leveraged data analytics capabilities to flag pediatric care gaps and do something about them during the COVID-19 pandemic. “If you don't have the analytics to show where you're at, you may not understand what's happening out there in the market. We were able to use the analytics to show there's been a big decrease, and then we quickly put together a response plan, including communication, radio ads, other types of communication channels, to respond to that,” Scott Wilkerson, chief integration and business development officer at the children’s hospital, told HealthITAnalytics during an interview. The insights gleaned from the data were key to maintaining appropriate access to care during the pandemic and could be a strategy for balancing in-person and virtual care as communities decide how to stay open and protect residents from rising COVID-19 numbers. FDA EXPANDS EUA FOR INVESTIGATIONAL COVID-19 ANTIBODY COCKTAIL The FDA recently updated the emergency use authorization for Regeneron’s investigational COVID-19 antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV, to include its use in individuals with post-exposure prophylaxis. Providers can now administer the drug monthly to qualifying patients if they are at high risk of severe disease and have not been fully vaccinated or who may not mount an adequate response to vaccination. Now, the drug is the only COVID-19 antibody therapy currently available across the US for both treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis. The expansion of the emergency use authorization was based on results from a Phase 3 clinical trial, which showed that REGEN-COV reduced the risk of symptomatic infection by 81 percent in individuals who were not infected with COVID-19 when they entered the trial. Previous clinical trial data also found that the drug reduced risk of death by 20 percent in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who had not mounted their own immune response. ANTITRUST AGENCIES MAY TARGET VERTICAL INTEGRATION DEALS The Biden-Harris administration has made consolidation in healthcare a top priority for antitrust agencies and HHS, per a recent executive order. But this doesn’t just mean the colossal deals making headlines (e.g., the recent Beaumont-Spectrum Health merger). Industry experts believe the executive order could mean greater focus on vertical integration deals, such as those between hospitals and physician practices and those between payers and physician groups. “We’re going to see more scrutiny in these areas, particularly with the new vertical merger guidelines the FTC and DOJ issued in 2020. That is certainly top of mind to the FTC and the FTC has substantial experience with hospital-physician consolidation and continues to actively study its effects on competition and quality,” Ken Vorrasi, antitrust litigation partner at Faegre Drinker, told RevCycleIntelligence. Source: https://healthcareexecintelligence.healthitanalytics.com/news/access-to-care-health-equity-lagging-in-the-us-is-telehealth-safer-than-in-person-care < Previous News Next News >

CMS Proposes to Extend Telehealth Flexibilities Through 2023 Thomas Sullivan Oct 24, 2021 CMS Proposes to Extend Telehealth Flexibilities Through 2023 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed in the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule to extend telehealth flexibilities through 2023 instead of through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, which is expected to run through this year. Physician groups in comments on the rule called for a permanent solution beyond the dates set by CMS. Groups also submitted comments on MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs), ACO policies, and pending payment cuts. The final rule is expected around November 1, 2021. Telehealth Telehealth advocates called upon CMS to amend the proposed 2022 Physician Fee Schedule to permanently extend emergency measures on telehealth access and coverage that were enacted to deal with the pandemic. Many also called upon Congress to expand telehealth services. “The ATA commends the Biden Administration for their actions in support of telehealth, and we appreciate CMS’ intent to ensure Medicare beneficiaries continue to have access to quality healthcare when and where they need it,” ATA CEO Ann Mond Johnson said in its letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “However, as important as the Physician Fee Schedule is, we urge Congress to act before the vast majority of Medicare beneficiaries go off the ‘telehealth cliff’ at the end of the public health emergency.” “The ATA understands that CMS is simply following Congress’ lead, though we are hopeful Congress will correct this wrong in the statute,” Johnson said. “There is no clinical evidence for an arbitrary in-person requirement before a patient can access telehealth services. However, in the proposed rule, CMS considers requiring an in-person visit, not only within the ‘six-month period prior to the first time’ the provider furnishes telehealth to the individual, as stated by law, but also within six months prior to subsequent telehealth visits. This effectively creates a new, arbitrary requirement for the patient to have an in-person mental health visit every six months should the patient plan to seek telehealth services with that provider.” The Medical Group Management Association also commented that removing services after a “predetermined or prescriptive date” could create a major administrative burden for practices already strained financially by the pandemic. “Member group practices report that adjusting workflows to operationalize the use of new telehealth codes requires additional resources, such as clinician and staff training and patient education,” MGMA said in comments. “Removing telehealth services from the covered code list will prove disruptive to both practices and patients alike, as patients have become accustomed to receiving these services virtually.” MIPS Value Pathways and ACOs The proposed rule calls for beginning use of the value pathways program in MIPS for 2023 and having it replace MIPS entirely in 2027. MVP is intended to align clinician reporting requirements, but the American Hospital Association (AHA) said it’s unclear whether the program would reduce administrative burden as expected or that it would be equitable across specialties. AHA said it “believes that unless and until CMS can address several conceptual issues with MVPs … CMS should not set a date certain for transitioning to mandatory MVP participation.” The Medical Group Management Association also had concerns, particularly about provider burden. Group purchasing organization Premier addressed the proposed rule’s changes to reporting from accountable care organizations. It applauded the more gradual move to using electronic clinical quality measures, citing the reporting burden associated with them. Premier also asked CMS to recognize that ACO reporting is “fundamentally different from reporting by clinicians and groups.” The National Association of ACOs echoed those comments. Pay Cuts In comments on the proposed rule, physician groups were also worried about a looming 3.75% cut in the 2022 Medicare conversion factor, which calculates reimbursement for procedures under fee-for-service. The cuts are mandated under a budget neutrality provision in Congress and comes after a pay bump from Congress that expires in 2022. The AMA said that it is urging CMS to work with Congress for relief on the budget neutrality issue. “CMS should exercise the full breadth and depth of its administrative authority to avert or, at a minimum, mitigate these unconscionable payment cuts,” the group added. https://www.policymed.com/2021/10/cms-proposes-to-extend-telehealth-flexibilities-through-2023.html < Previous News Next News >

New Coding Modifier Offers Opportunity To Investigate Audio-Only Telehealth Alexander Beschloss, Ryan Van Ramshorst, Chethan Bachireddy, Christopher Chen, Andrey Ostrovsky November 18, 2022 Prior to the pandemic, Medicaid program coverage of audio-only telehealth services was limited. During the early stages of the pandemic, Medicaid beneficiaries were significantly less likely to complete telehealth visits compared to commercially insured patients. This was likely due to a series of obstacles, including: lack of access to high-quality broadband, a device with video capability, requisite digital skills, and private space to conduct the visit. For example, in 2019, roughly one in four Medicaid enrollees lived in a home without internet or with limited computer access. That said, Medicaid beneficiaries do not have significantly less access to devices with video capability (such as smartphones) than other patient populations, suggesting network connectivity poses more of a barrier than device access. Even further, nearly 50 percent of low-income patients in the US may not have requisite digital health literacy to use virtual telehealth. However, considering that 86 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries own a smartphone, it may be inferred that many more have sufficient digital literacy to engage in audio-only care rather than audio-visual telehealth. Network connectivity and low rates of digital literacy are two barriers that highlight the importance of creating the infrastructure to deliver and measure audio-only visits is of increased necessity. It was in this context that, once the pandemic struck, Medicaid agencies changed policies to augment access to telehealth services. For example, 17 state Medicaid agencies expanded reimbursement to include multiple modalities of telehealth, including audio-only. These changes particularly supported patient populations who had transportation, childcare, employment, or income barriers that prevent in-person care—challenges that are more prevalent in the Medicaid population. These policy innovations narrowed the reimbursement gap among in-person, audio-only, and audio-visual visits. In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently investigated differences in patient populations who receive telehealth audio-only versus audiovisual use in 2021. For telehealth visits, Medicaid beneficiaries were more likely to use audio-only care than were privately insured patients (35.1 percent versus 45.5 percent). They discovered that compared to White patients, who used audio-only care for 38.1 percent of their telehealth visits, Latino, Black, and Asian patients did so at rates of 49.3 percent, 46.4 percent, and 48.7 percent, respectively. Patients with less than a high school education used it at 61.9 percent of their telehealth visits, compared to those with greater than a bachelor’s degree, who did such at a rate of only 32.6 percent. Across income brackets, there is an inverse relationship between household income and audio-only telehealth use. As the use of audio-only telehealth became more widespread among Medicaid beneficiaries, state Medicaid leaders needed a mechanism to measure clinical outcomes, health care costs, and patient experiences related to audio-only telehealth. Providers also needed a dedicated billing construct that could be used across public and private payers to streamline billing processes. Until recently, such mechanisms simply did not exist. And so, due to these insufficient coding constructs, several Medicaid medical directors spearheaded an application to the American Medical Association (AMA) to create a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) modifier that would specifically designate audio-only services. In September 2021, the AMA CPT Editorial Panel accepted the addition of the CPT Modifier 93 code for synchronous audio-only telehealth, and the code became active on January 1, 2022. This article provides an overview of the rationale for and process of creating the CPT Modifier 93 code. Potential Benefits Of Audio-Only CPT Modifier Why was the creation of a new audio-only modifier necessary? Several reasons: data collection, policy implementation, health care equity, widespread need, and service specificity. The CPT 93 modifier permits differentiation among audio-only, audiovisual, and in-person care at the administrative level, which subsequently allows health service researchers to monitor and evaluate the use and clinical efficacy among these methods of care delivery. Prior to the introduction of this modifier, such high-quality analyses were impossible to do at scale. Along with the increase in all modalities of telehealth use since the COVID-19 public health emergency (63 fold increase year over year between 2019 and 2020), a survey performed by HHS (across all 50 states and the District of Columbia) discovered that 45.5 percent of all telehealth usage amongst Medicaid beneficiaries was audio-only. Taking things one step farther, several state legislatures including Washington, Connecticut, and New York have recently passed laws mandating or allowing coverage for audio-only services. Audio-only telehealth is being highly used, therefore having a mechanism to collect related data is vital. Implementing this modifier will serve as a tool for policy makers to make informed adjustments in policy around patients who use audio-only services. Implementation of this modifier will also enable claims-based research to monitor for disparities between audiovisual and audio-only care to ensure that all modalities of telehealth are provided in a sustainable, equitable, and high-quality fashion. Additionally, because different states have implemented varying strategies to cover audio-only services during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the CPT 93 modifier will help health services researchers and policy makers discern the differences between coverage approaches, information that will be crucial in standardizing telehealth data collection/storage across states. From a coding perspective, adding an audio-only modifier to existing and widely used CPT codes is a far more feasible option than alternatives such as individual payers developing their own coding modifiers. That approach would become unreasonably burdensome on providers who would subsequently have to learn and bill using the system established by each payer. Previous Codes Did Not Suffice While CPT codes for services provided through telephone exist, they do not specify the enormous range of behavioral health services, therapies, maternity-related care, post-operative guidance, and other services that have been successfully delivered via audio-only technology since the COVID-19 PHE. For example, CPT code 99441 represents a “telephone evaluation and management service; 5–10 minutes of medical discussion,” which gives no specificity regarding what type of care was delivered. In comparison, the CPT 93 modifier can be attached to theoretically any billing code that is permitted under law, thus allowing for more precise tracking and more useful follow-up research. Prior to the introduction of the CPT 93 modifier, there were seldom CPT codes that could be used to represent audio-only telehealth for specific services. Even though audio-only telehealth has been delivered at high rates, states have only been able to use temporary or workaround solutions to bill for audio-only services. For example, the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II code for crisis response (CR) has been used by some states to support audio-only services during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the two and a half years since the pandemic began, however, the use of audio-only to provide health services has become normalized and may in fact now be expected by Medicaid providers and beneficiaries—a reality for which the CR code, and its temporary application, was not designed. The CPT 93 solves this challenge on a national scale. Another prior attempt to capture audio-only telehealth was the CPT modifier 95 that only indicated a telehealth service and did not differentiate between audio-only and audio-visual care. HCPCS Level II code “G0” has also been used; however, it indicates a telehealth service for diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment specific to symptoms of an acute stroke. Furthermore, CPT code 99401 can be used to reflect counseling services that may be provided via audio-only care; however, this code failed to capture all the nuance of the amount of time of care was delivered. At the end of the COVID-19 PHE, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to add the “FQ” modifier on claims for HCPCS code G2080 for counseling and therapy provided using audio-only telecommunications. The HCPCS G2080 code refers to when one provides therapy services that largely exceed the amount listed in the patient’s individualized treatment plan for medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. This modifier exists solely for CMS’s Opioid Treatment Program and fails to account for other indications for audio-only telehealth. Creating a CPT modifier that is applicable to all service types simplifies the codification and measurement of audio-only care across all payer types. Conduct More Research On Audio-Only Telehealth Researchers, provider organizations, and policy makers must investigate and ensure that audio-only telehealth drives strong clinical outcomes. Telephone-focused care has been an important part of primary care; however, much of it was after hours, unmeasured, and not reimbursed. There is strong evidence on audio-only telehealth’s efficacy in prenatal visits and insomnia, for example. A randomized clinical control trial in a patient population of the Kaiser Permanente Washington system received audio-only cognitive behavioral therapy through the telephone demonstrated a significant benefit in improving sleep, fatigue, and osteoarthritis-associated pain. A cohort study amongst pregnant women in the Parkland Health System in Texas found that audio-only perinatal visits were not associated with changes in perinatal outcomes when compared to in-person visits in a vulnerable population. While these data are encouraging, they are sparse. Measurement of a CPT modifier may streamline the research methods used in these studies. Researchers must continue to investigate the efficacy of specific therapies when delivered via audio-only modalities. While audio-only telehealth solves several problems in health care, there are also several risks such as its potential use for inappropriate clinical indications and the risk that some may see an opportunity to overbill. An audio-only modifier—and therefore a more granular characterization of telehealth modalities—may help assuage concerns about fraud, waste, and abuse, removing existing ambiguity about the impact of different telehealth modalities on outcomes. We also know that the quality and value of these delivery modalities may vary according to the different demographics being served, including factors such as age, insurance status, payer, income, and region, among many others. Such modalities will likely vary between acuity of patient’s indication for care. Only by studying these differences amongst modalities and the populations served, can we ensure that the care delivered is equitable and valuable. Implementing the 93 modifier is a vital step toward enabling health services researchers to urgently pursue research questions that inform evidence-based policy about the best use of audio-only telehealth—especially amongst the Medicaid population. It is also essential to ensuring that the growth of audio-only health care does not create a two-tiered system between private insurance and Medicaid. For example, audio-only care may in fact be lower quality or lower value compared to audiovisual care or in-person care—although, further investigation is necessary to understand these differences. Considering that audio-only care helps remove barriers to care for underresourced patient populations, inappropriate use of audio-only care may further exacerbate the already large inequities in health care—a concern raised by both clinicians and patients. This reliance on audio-only care may also hamstring innovations that can improve the quality and access to audiovisual telehealth or in-person care. Clearly, there are legitimate concerns about the equity of audio-only health. To resolve them, more precise data and extensive investigations are necessary: Both of which will be enabled by the implementation of the CPT 93 modifier. An Opportunity For Action The new audio-only CPT 93 modifier provides meaningful potential benefits to combat barriers to care that were compounded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new code creates a potent opportunity for conducting rigorous research into audio-only telehealth to inform federal- and state-level policy around equitable telehealth delivery. But to make the most of this opportunity, regulators, payers, providers, and researchers must take steps to increase adoption and evaluation of the audio-only modifier. To catalyze this work, large health systems should consider leading the adoption of the CPT 93 modifier while also encouraging local private providers to do the same. Payers and purchasers should consider requiring modifier submission, a step that would also facilitate further research into the field with minimal additional administrative burden on providers. Federal health agencies have a role as well. For example, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) may increase awareness of the modifiers amongst affiliated researchers or those who use AHRQ databases while the Health Resources and Services Agency may require community health centers they fund to use the new modifier. Authors’ Note The authors would like to thank Dr. John Morgan and Amanda Brodt for their contributions to preparing this paper. Dr. Ostrovsky is an investor in the following companies, some of which provide telehealth services: https://www.socialinnovationventures.com . However, there are no direct conflicts of interest. See original article: https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/new-coding-modifier-offers-opportunity-investigate-audio-only-telehealth#.Y3feKa9vXhA.twitter < Previous News Next News >

NH Lawmakers Seek to End Telehealth Parity, Audio-Only Phone Coverage By Eric Wicklund January 28, 2021 New Hampshire lawmakers are debating a new bill that would eliminate payment parity for telehealth and coverage of audio-only phone calls, both of which were included in legislation signed into law last year. New Hampshire lawmakers are debating a bill that would revise the state’s telehealth rules to eliminate payment parity and coverage for audio-only services. HB 602, recently introduced by State Reps. Jess Edwards, Jason Osborne and John Hunt, seeks to roll back certain provisions of a telehealth bill signed into law by Governor Chris Sununu in July 2020, when the country was in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. New Hampshire was one of the first states to make permanent emergency measures that had been enacted months earlier to improve coverage for and access to telehealth services. The new bill takes aim at two provisions that have been producing a lot of debate: reimbursing care providers for telehealth services at the same rate that they’re paid for in-person care, and coverage for telehealth services delivered via and audio-only phone or platform. The bill strikes language from state law that compels private payers and Medicaid to reimburse providers “on the same basis as the insurer provides coverage and reimbursement for health care services provided in person.” It also excludes audio-only phones calls and faxes from the list of acceptable telehealth and telemedicine modalities. Spurred by the rapid adoption and success of connected health services during the COVID-19 public health emergency, some states have moved to make payment parity permanent, in particular for mental health and substance abuse services. Many others are keeping these emergency measures in place until the PHE ends and waiting for the federal government to establish a long-term policy. Payment parity for telehealth is a contentious issue. Those opposed to the concept feel the payer industry should be able to negotiate coverage with care providers. They also argue that telehealth services should be valued differently than in-person care. Those in favor of parity say reimbursement should be kept on a par with in-person care – at least for the time being – to give reluctant providers a reason to try telehealth and to spur widespread adoption. As for audio-only phone calls, telehealth advocates say they should be included in coverage because not everyone has access to reliable broadband connectivity or the resources to use or buy audio-visual telemedicine services. Opponents, meanwhile, say the phone isn’t an adequate platform to establish a doctor-patient relationship and provide proper healthcare services. Among those opposed to HB 602 is Scot Wilson, LCMHC, a licensed clinical mental health provider at Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth with a private practice in Concord. “If HB 602 is passed it will do nothing more than reduce the already sparse amount of services in New Hampshire,” he recently wrote in a post in Seacoast Online. “We will see an increase in wait times for hospital beds as we have more people unable to find a therapist. We will see individuals without access to the internet or the technology to allow telehealth via video to have access to necessary care. We will have more therapists decide that we cannot see people through telehealth because it is not financially viable.” < Previous News Next News >

Joint Commission Updates Telemedicine Accreditation Rules Center for Connected Health Policy April 2021 Before a practitioner may provide services in a hospital, he or she must have their qualifications evaluated and verified. According to an article in The National Law Review, The Joint Commission recently announced slightly revised ‘credentialing by proxy rules’. Before a practitioner may provide services in a hospital, he or she must have their qualifications evaluated and verified. This process, known as credentialing, ensures an individual possesses the necessary qualifications to provide medical services to patients. ‘Credentialing by proxy’ allows a hospital receiving services to accept the distant site hospital’s credentialing and privileging decisions. Certain criteria must be met in order for a hospital to qualify to utilize credentialing by proxy. Previously, this included requiring both the originating site hospital and distant site hospital to be accredited with the Joint Commission. The new change allows the distant site telemedicine entity to be accredited with The Joint Commission or, alternatively, enrolled in the Medicare program. The affected standard is MS.13.01.01, EP 1, and is reflected in the Joint Commission’s 2021 update to their Comprehensive Accreditation Manuals. Comprehensive Accreditation Manuals: https://store.jcrinc.com/2021-comprehensive-accreditation-manuals/ < Previous News Next News >

Epic research shows telehealth efficacy, makes case for more reimbursement Andrea Fox December 15, 2022 The study of 35 million telehealth visits found that most patients did not require in-person visits within 90 days of online appointments, indicating virtual visits as an effective "alternative, rather than duplicative" care modality. A dual team study of in-person, same-specialty follow-up rates after telehealth appointments published by Epic Research examined the cadence of care and found virtual medicine to be an effective tool. WHY IT MATTERS Analyzing the effectiveness of different methods for delivering care is important to guide decisions about how to allocate resources, according to the study's key findings report. To determine which specialties were able to fulfill patient needs using telehealth and which required in-person follow-up visits more often, two teams of researchers examined more than 35 million telehealth visits conducted between March 1, 2020, and May 31, 2022. What they found, according to the report, is that high in-person follow-up rates within three months were present only in specialties that require regular hands-on care, such as obstetrics and surgery. Follow-up visits within 90 days of telehealth appointments were not, by and large, instances of duplicative care, but a method of care delivery that can increase healthcare access, the researchers say. "Healthcare providers should continue to educate policymakers and administrators on the function telehealth plays as an alternative, rather than duplicative, encounter," they said in the report, adding that payers should extend telehealth visit coverage. The researchers also found that genetics and nutrition are the specialties that made the most efficient use of telemedicine. And while 15% of mental healthcare and psychiatry telehealth appointments required in-person follow-up in the next three months, that specialty had the largest volume of all studied for telehealth utilization. Of the more than 4.3 million telehealth visits during the study period, nearly 3.7 million mental health and psychiatry telehealth visits did not require in-person follow-up. THE LARGER TREND While telehealth use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, one study of 40.7 million adults found telehealth comparable for chronic conditions. However, some experts quickly found telemedicine well-suited for use in behavioral health after the onset of the pandemic. Also, the COVID-19 public health emergency eliminated the requirement to have an in-person visit with a patient before prescribing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD). While an end to the PHE would signal a return to the in-person visit requirement for OUD prescriptions, several healthcare organizations have urged the U.S. Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency to revise telehealth controlled substance rules. In rural areas, telehealth has increased access to care, including the ability to treat OUD with MAT. "Telehealth flexibilities and ePrescribing waivers have been crucial in enabling providers to care for patients during the pandemic and have greatly expanded access to care in situations where patients were unable or unwilling to travel to a physical location," Dr. Maroof Ahmed, co-founder of Quit Genius, told Healthcare IT News by email in October. ON THE RECORD "These findings suggest that, for many specialties, telehealth visits are typically an efficient use of resources and are unlikely to require in-person follow-up care," according to the researchers' key findings report. Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News. Email: afox@himss.org Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication. See original article: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/epic-research-shows-telehealth-efficacy-makes-case-more-reimbursement < Previous News Next News >

USDA Invests in Four New Mexico Projects for Distance Learning and Telemedicine Infrastructure to Improve Education and Health Outcomes By Amy Mund February 25, 2021 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is investing $42.3 million to help rural residents gain access to health care and educational opportunities. Rural areas are seeing higher infection and death rates related to COVID-19 due to several factors, including a much higher percentage of underlying conditions, difficulty accessing medical care, and lack of health insurance. The $42.3 million in awards includes $24 million provided through the CARES Act. In total, these investments will benefit 5 million rural residents. “The coronavirus pandemic is a national emergency that requires an historic federal response. These investments by the Biden Administration will help millions of people living in rural places access health care and education opportunities that could change and save lives,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is helping rural America build back better using technology as a cornerstone to create more equitable communities. With health care and education increasingly moving to online platforms, the time is now to make historic investments in rural America to improve quality of life for decades to come.” USDA is funding 86 projects through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program. The program helps rural education and health care entities remotely reach students, patients and outside expertise. These capabilities make world-class education and health care opportunities accessible in rural communities. The ability to use telehealth resources is critical, especially now during a global pandemic. “The funding will provide new technology to expand learning beyond the classroom, healthcare beyond the doctor’s office and extend the reach of services to the respective regions,” said Acting New Mexico Rural Development State Director Eric Vigil. Fort Lewis College (FLC) in Durango, CO will use a $950,060 grant to strategically align technology that facilitates distance learning, improving access for roughly 3,270 students in the communities where they live. This HyFlex course design will be provided at four rural connectivity centers in La Plata and Conejos Counties in Colorado, Apache County in Arizona, and San Juan County in New Mexico. A HyFlex course design allows students to attend face-to-face classes, through synchronous sessions, fully online, allowing FLC to continue innovative delivering of quality education and support to students despite the continuing challenges presented by COVID-19. The rural connectivity centers will help mitigate the digital divide for the learning communities that are most affected by digital inequities by providing rural students with the internet and technology necessary to fully engage in courses from afar. They will also allow students from each community to access their professors as well as fully engage with the services that students on-campus are able to access including the student health center, faculty office hours, academic support such as tutoring and library services, and student-run organizations. Tanya V. Marin PC will utilize a $263,640 DLT Grant to purchase telemedicine equipment to help Santa Teresa Children's Day and Night Clinic implement a comprehensive health care and wellness programs. Six fully-equipped and upgraded telemedicine carts will be provided to five hub/end-user sites. These sites include three elementary schools and two community clinics. Each site will have the capacity to receive primary care services for children and adults, women's health, and mental health and behavior services, including substance misuse prevention and treatment. The sites are expected to serve approximately 14,000 people in Dona Ana, Socorro, Sierra and Union counties. Ben Archer Health Center Inc. was awarded a $153,963 DLT Grant to provide remote medical, dental and behavioral health care services for underserved and uninsured patients, and distance learning education for health care professionals in Dona Ana, Luna, Otero and Sierra counties. An interactive system involving telemedicine carts with accessories will enable live audio-video interactions between health care professionals and patients. Teleconference equipment for conference rooms will facilitate distance learning and group sessions, and laptops for medical, dental and behavioral providers will be used to provide services to patients in rural communities. New Mexico Highlands University received a $510,363 DLT Grant to create a distance learning hub/end-user site at the main campus in Las Vegas, and at a second end-user site in Mora, N.M. The system will eliminate barriers to higher education for residents of remote communities in San Miguel and Mora counties. This funding will enable New Mexico Highlands University to offer remote courses and to implement remote student support programs (especially for STEM students). In addition to equipping the remote site, the project will fund the purchase of computers configured specifically for distance learning. These computers will be loaned to students. The Mora site also be made available to community members for activities such as workforce development. A recent report by the Rural Policy Research Institute’s Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis found infection and death rates in rural America due to COVID-19 are 13.4 percent higher than in urban areas. A recent report from USDA’s Economic Research Service, USDA ERS - Rural Residents Appear to be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death From Coronavirus COVID-19, underscored the challenges facing rural Americans amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with even greater detail. Due to a confluence of factors, including higher percentages of underlying conditions, lack of health insurance, and lower access to medical facilities/care than urban counterparts, ERS analysts found rural Americans are suffering more severe illness or death due to COVID-19. Rural Residents Appear to be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death from Coronavirus COVID-19 Underlying health conditions (ages 20 to 84) Rural Percent, 23.7 Urban Percent, 3.0 Older adult population scale Rural Percent, 15.9 Urban Percent, 4.0 Lacking health insurance (ages 25 to 64) Rural Percent, 20.2 Urban Percent, 10.5 Distance to county with an intensive care hospital Rural Percent, 11.3 Urban Percent, 0.3 The table above is from the USDA ERS January 2021 report: Rural Residents Appear to be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death from Coronavirus COVID-19 In January, President Biden requested all parts of the federal government to contribute resources to contain the coronavirus pandemic. USDA is responding to the President’s call to action. To date, more than 350 USDA personnel have deployed to assist with standing up vaccination sites, for example. In addition to personnel, USDA is offering its facilities, cold chain infrastructure, public health experts, disaster response specialists, and footprint in rural and Tribal communities across the country. USDA’s commitment to control the pandemic extends to our own staff and facilities, with masking and physical distancing requirements across USDA, a commitment to provide PPE to our front-line workers, and working with states to prioritize vaccinations for our workforce. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/coronavirus. USDA also encourages people seeking health insurance to go to HealthCare.gov now through May 15th due to a special enrollment period. If you are recently uninsured due to a job loss or between jobs, find a plan at HealthCare.gov and keep it for as long as you need it. USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/nm. USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov . < Previous News Next News >

What You Need to Know About the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act Dr. Maheu February 24, 2022 The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act was introduced on February 7, 2022, to ensure a continuation of public access to telehealth after the end of a public health emergency. If passed, it will allow time to gather data concerning virtual care utilization and prevent a sudden drop-off in access to care, also known as the telehealth cliff. What is the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act? The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act establishes a two-year extension for certain coronavirus-related telehealth waivers. It will extend geographic and site restrictions waivers and allow Medicare beneficiaries to access telehealth from various locations. It also provides flexibility for prescribing drugs via telehealth and extends flexible Medicare payment plans for Rural Health Centers (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). The bill follows an advocacy letter signed by 336 organizations, co-led by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and others, urging Congressional leaders to continue the current telehealth waivers and pass permanent, evidence-based telehealth legislation for implementation in 2024. Key Takeaways for the Telehealth Industry The telehealth industry should be aware of the critical points of the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act. Extension of Medicare Payment for Telehealth Services. The CARES ACT allowed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to waive specific Medicare coverage and payment limitations, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive telehealth care at home. If the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation passes, it will extend certain telehealth coverage waivers on originating site and geographic location limitations, expand the list of telehealth providers, and increase the availability of audio-only telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries for two years after the public health emergency ends. Telemedicine Drug Prescribing. The Ryan Haight Act prohibits the prescribing of medicine without an in-person visit. Federal law allowed DEA registered practitioners to prescribe to patients without in-person visits during the pandemic. See TBHI’s previous article Telehealth Opioids, and Ryan Haight Act Update, for more information. The proposed legislation would extend this flexibility two years after the public health emergency. Extension of FQHCs and RHCs. Before the pandemic, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) could only provide telehealth services to patients near their locations. The CARES Act allowed these facilities to provide care to patients in distant areas, a practice the legislation would continue for two years after the public health emergency expires. Extension for CAHs. The 2020 Hospitals Without Walls program allowed hospitals to provide telehealth care during a public health emergency. The proposed legislation would add Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) as distant site providers of telehealth services to continue offering off-site care. Restrictions for Certain DMEs and Lab Tests. The legislation would require an ordering physician to conduct an in-person examination of a patient no more than 12 months before ordering specific high-cost lab tests and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) products via telehealth. It would also instruct Medicare Administrative Contractors to audit practitioners and clinicians who do 90% or more of their orders of DME and lab tests via telehealth. This would continue for two years after the health emergency ends. It is meant to reduce instances of fraud and abuse. NPI Number for Telehealth Billing. Healthcare providers need a national provider identifier (NPI) number to bill Medicare directly. Under certain conditions, Medicare pays for services billed by physicians but performed by non-physician staff acting under the physician’s supervision. This practice is known as “incident to” billing. The proposed legislation requires all practitioners to obtain an NPI number to receive Medicare payment for telehealth services two years after the public health emergency. Your Advocacy Is Needed The pandemic has caused an increased reliance on the telehealth industry. If passed, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act will ensure that patients can continue to access the virtual care they need. Contact your elected officials at the federal level to ask them to support this crucial bill. https://telehealth.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-telehealth-extension-and-evaluation-act/?smclient=f760e669-8538-11ec-83c8-18cf24ce389f&smconv=5bc4c379-a4c1-484f-a411-33ec93777504&smlid=9&utm_source=salesmanago&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=default < Previous News Next News >

Emergency telemedicine poised to grow in pandemic’s new phase Tanya Albert Henry, Contributing News Writer May 23, 2022 Emergency medicine is likely not the first specialty that comes to mind when thinking about the clinical areas that can benefit greatly from telehealth. But this digitally enabled mode of health care delivery that took off at the pandemic’s onset was helping in the emergency medicine setting before COVID-19 and will only continue to grow. An AMA Telehealth Immersion Program event co-hosted with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) provided an overview of the innovative ways telemedicine is being used in emergency settings and discussed how telehealth can continue to help physicians provide better care for patients. Emergency medicine doesn’t take place in one spot in the hospital and emergency physicians are trained to take care of emerging acute care situations in any setting, said Aditi U. Joshi, MD, chair of ACEP’s telehealth section. That includes the kind of asynchronous care that can be part of telehealth. Triage involves determining which kind of care presenting patients require. “Can they stay at home, do they need to go to an urgent care, primary care, or do they need to come into the emergency department?” she said. “We are uniquely skilled in that.” Telestroke was another form of telehealth in use before the COVID-19 pandemic, and telehealth was in use at freestanding emergency departments and urgent care centers. And here are a few ways that virtual care is poised to continue to grow: Triage. This can include, for example, talking to the emergency medical services unit on the way to the hospital, long-term acute care (LTAC) triage, and telemedicine screening exams. Direct, acute unscheduled care. For example, virtual urgent care, ED consults to help with things such as transfer stabilization treatment advice, LTAC, correctional medicine, or skilled nursing facility consults. Virtual (out of ED) observation. For example, post-ED follow-up visits, remote home monitoring, and hospital at home. The AMA helps guide physicians, practices and health systems in optimizing and sustaining telehealth at their organizations through the AMA Telehealth Immersion Program. The program builds on The Telehealth Initiative and is part of the AMA STEPS Forward® Innovation Academy, which enables physicians to learn from peers and experts and discover ways to implement time-saving practice innovation strategies. Benefits in the rural setting Over the past decade, 120 U.S. hospitals closed and 31 states have seen at least one rural hospital among those closures. With 20% of the population living and working in a rural area where hospitals often have limited staff, wait times for EDs in the rural hospitals are higher than the national average that is already at 24 minutes—and that is to see a nonphysician such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant. It’s not uncommon for a physician to have to be called to come in from home at night because there are not enough doctors to staff the hospital 24/7. Emergency physician Kelly Rhone, MD, interim chief medical officer and vice president of innovation and outreach at Avel eCare, said their virtual health system—started in 1993—works with rural hospitals across the country to provide emergency care. They are hard-wired into EDs where health professionals with the push of a button can connect to their virtual emergency department, staffed with emergency physicians and nurses, to direct those who have their hands on the patients who may be in cardiac arrest, suffering from a stroke or facing other life-threatening injuries. “We are making a difference in rural health and bringing cutting-edge emergency medicine to the bedside,” Dr. Rhone said. Emergency telehealth in big cities too Telemedicine in the ED setting has benefits in large urban areas such as Los Angeles, too. Moshen Saidinejad, MD, directs pediatric emergency medicine at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and said many children go to EDs that aren’t set up for pediatric patients and telemedicine allows those trained in pediatric emergency medicine to consult with those treating a child. The benefits of expanded telemedicine are clear. Join physicians who are advocating to permanently expand virtual care coverage. For more information see full article: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital/emergency-telemedicine-poised-grow-pandemic-s-new-phase?smclient=f760e669-8538-11ec-83c8-18cf24ce389f&utm_source=salesmanago&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=default < Previous News Next News >

CHOP Study Explores the Use of Telemedicine in Child Neurology in Largest Study to Date Children's Hospital of Philadelphia September 16, 2022 -- Certain patients were more likely to use telemedicine even with the reopening of in-person appointments, while barriers to telemedicine remained for some families -- PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers from the Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative (ENGIN) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that across nearly 50,000 visits, patients continued to use telemedicine effectively even with the reopening of outpatient clinics a year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, prominent barriers for socially vulnerable families and racial and ethnic minorities persist, suggesting more work is required to reach a wider population with telemedicine. The findings, which represent the largest study of telemedicine in child neurology to date, were published today by the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rapid and unprecedented conversion of outpatient clinical care from in-person visits to remote telehealth visits. While telemedicine had been used to deliver care for specific adult patient populations prior to the pandemic, the effectiveness of telemedicine in child neurology as a novel method of care had not been systematically explored. In a prior study published by Neurology in 2020, CHOP researchers found that patients and clinicians had a high rate of satisfaction with telemedicine and many on both sides were interested in using telemedicine for future visits. To that end, the study team wanted to determine the long-term impact of telemedicine on child neurology care during the COVID-19 pandemic, factoring in the reopening of outpatient clinics. The observational study was based on a cohort of 34,837 in-person visits and 14,820 telemedicine outpatient visits between October 2019 and April 2021 across a total of 26,399 child neurology patients. "In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the use of telemedicine visits, but now that telemedicine visits have been established as part of the care we are able to deliver, we had the opportunity to compare them more thoroughly to in-person visits," said the study's first author Michael Kaufman, MS, a data scientist with ENGIN at CHOP. "With data on nearly 15,000 telemedicine visits, we were able to identify trends in how telemedicine was being used by individuals of different demographic backgrounds, neurological conditions and other variables." The researchers found that telemedicine was a viable option for many patients and was utilized more often than in-person visits for certain patients, such as those with epilepsy and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Other patients, such as those with certain neuromuscular and movement disorders, younger patients, and those needing specific procedures were less likely to receive care by telemedicine. Additionally, the researchers found that self-reported racial and ethnic minority populations in the study as well as those with the highest social vulnerability – a measure of community resilience to stressors on human health – were less likely to participate in telemedicine visits. Two novel metrics were developed to determine access to telemedicine and track delayed care, which revealed further disparities. Some of the most vulnerable individuals were less likely to activate their online patient portals and were more likely to receive delayed care, compared to less vulnerable individuals. "Our group has studied telemedicine extensively, and our findings demonstrate how telemedicine has become a standard component of child neurology care for many patients," said Ingo Helbig, MD, a pediatric neurologist at CHOP, director of the genomic and data science core of CHOP's Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative (ENGIN) and senior author on this study. "Increased use of telemedicine was prompted by a public health emergency, and so we need to make sure, as these new tools for patient care remain prevalent, that we're continuing to learn about and address disparities in care and optimize access for socially vulnerable families, so that they have the tools necessary should another similar public health crisis occur." This study was supported by The Hartwell Foundation through an Individual Biomedical Research Award; the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke grants K02 NS112600 and K23 NS102521; the Center Without Walls on ion channel function in epilepsy "Channelopathy-associated Research Center" grant U54 NS108874; the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development through the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania grant U54 HD086984; intramural funds of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia through the Epilepsy NeuroGenetics Initiative (ENGIN); and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health through the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics' (ITMAT) Transdisciplinary Program in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania grant UL1TR001878. Kaufman et al, "Child neurology telemedicine: analyzing 14 820 patient encounters during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic." Dev Med Child Neurol. Online September 16, 2022. DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15406. About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the 595-bed hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as a new inpatient hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu . Contact: Ben Leach Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (609) 634-7906 Leachb@email.chop.edu See original article: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chop-study-explores-telemedicine-child-154000001.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr < Previous News Next News >

The Future of Telehealth: Informatics, Scalability and Interoperability Bill Siwicki, Healthcare IT News July 2021 A Philips executive describes what's happening now with virtual care – and what needs to happen to ensure a solid future for telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed telehealth into the spotlight with exponential adoption, helping to prove its value. The healthcare industry learned that, with the right solutions, care can extend outside hospital walls and be conducted anywhere. Further, CIOs and other health IT leaders reinvented systems and processes, and clinicians gained an improved understanding of the invaluable impact of integrated informatics on digital transformations and the quality and efficiency of care. Even while the pandemic continues, healthcare provider organizations have begun to stabilize these infrastructures and revisit the technologies and workflows deployed earlier in the crisis and turn them into standard practices. On this note, Karsten Russell-Wood, portfolio leader for post-acute and home at Philips, shares his viewpoints with Healthcare IT News on the biggest priorities to ensure telehealth is sustained long term. Q. How can telehealth and remote patient monitoring technologies help support chronic and acute care anywhere? A. With the right tools, extending care outside the hospital is not only feasible, but in many cases preferred. The Philips Future Health Index 2021 Report, which surveyed nearly 3,000 healthcare leaders across 14 countries, found that healthcare leaders expect an average of 23% of routine care to take place outside of the hospital walls within three years. This new frontier will undoubtedly include extending real-time care to those with both acute needs and chronic conditions who benefit from consistent communication with doctors. For these patient populations in particular, COVID-19 spurred an interest in becoming a more active participant in care plans, bringing them new levels of convenience and personalization. To meet these needs, providers must continuously work to tailor care toward the consumer, just as we're seeing happen in the banking and retail industries, and [to] advance care models from brick and mortar to "clicks and mortar." Even if the home can't be the hospital, community spaces and retail locations can fill in as connected care stations for underserved communities or patients [who] don't have an ideal setup at home. This is only possible through the use of data-driven, connected care solutions that feed into cloud-based software and allow clinicians to maintain visibility into their patients' conditions from afar. Beyond wellness checks, remote patient monitoring enables doctors to view critical patient data on a consistent basis, helping them cater care to a patient's unique needs, as well as activate timely interventions before health deteriorates. Traditionally, acute patients need an inpatient admission to the hospital and require continuous rounding by a physician. Approaching this patient population with a 360-degree model – monitoring them at home from pre-admission through post-discharge – could help track the different phases of acute care from outside the hospital. The benefits here include freeing clinicians from the bedside, helping them better allocate hospital resources according to risk, and, above all, keeping patients in a more convenient, lower-cost setting. Hospital-grade wearables equipped with secure data integration, for example, can help guide relevant, timely decisions from care teams regarding whether a patient needs to be hospitalized immediately, or can receive treatment elsewhere and remain outside the hospital for the time being. Care teams can view daily and weekly trends via continuous biometric devices, showing everything from skin temperature, respiratory rate at rest and coughing frequency, and be notified if symptoms are worsening. There are similar advantages of using connected devices when managing patients with chronic conditions. In the comfort of their own home, patients can remain connected to their providers in a convenient, passive manner, which can motivate them to adhere to their treatments. Until recently, patients have traveled to their doctors to receive care. However, that doesn't mean hospitals have always been the most accessible means of delivering that care, people just didn't have a choice. The industry now has the means to deliver that same level of care in a much more accessible way, bringing it to patients wherever they may be. For example, those with diabetes or congestive heart failure who may wish to avoid in-person visits can potentially avoid an unnecessary hospitalization if their doctors detect a change in their condition in time. Patients with cardiac arrhythmias can remain home while being continuously monitored. Doctors can detect arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation as they occur and intervene if necessary. Telehealth solutions can also help clinicians monitor whether a chronic condition is becoming acute. Q. With telehealth and remote patient monitoring comes the need for interoperability and security. How does a healthcare provider organization ensure data can be accessed and shared seamlessly across settings, and that solutions are interoperable? A. As hospitals evolve to extend care beyond their walls, telehealth and remote patient monitoring enable a hybrid continuum of care that brings an increased amount of health data. This requires secure, robust data-sharing infrastructures and a standard for technologies to work together across platforms and locations. The Future Health Index 2021 report found that two of the biggest barriers to the adoption of digital health technologies were difficulties with data management (44%) and lack of interoperability and data standards across technology platforms (37%). Providers need to rely on a longitudinal health record to activate the right care anytime and anywhere. For example, for remote care for patients in ICU settings, known as tele-ICUs, where integrated systems are particularly important: Without a strong backbone for smooth data integration, intensivists can only see what is happening in front of them, instead of making informed decisions based on a holistic view of a patient's health. To ensure data can be accessed and that solutions are interoperable, secure flows of data must be activated. Solutions that are designed to work in tandem are better organized and more secure from malicious attacks. By safeguarding technologies to make sure they're interoperable across platforms and geographic locations, health systems can better protect the data that flows throughout their system and provide increased security. Using a cloud-based platform approach will help achieve this, as well as standardize the current disparate IT landscape and allow data to be accessed anywhere. Leveraging open APIs and approved standards like IHE-HL7 can help facilitate data exchange across multiple sources and vendors across the continuum of care with minimal friction. With the rise in cloud-based applications, software-as-a-service and virtual care solutions enabling data sharing, organizations must work to ensure systems and processes mature at the rate they are evolving. Providers should assess their current infrastructure and their performance metrics such as ROI, quality, scalability and satisfaction, which will help them develop IT models accordingly that support these emerging care pathways. New types of executive roles will also grow in necessity to support building beyond hospital walls, such as chief digital officer and virtual health leadership supporting the informatics department. Further, to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of critical data and the systems that house that data, security plans should span across organizations and industries. While updating IT systems all at once may not be realistic, health systems can start by rigorously assessing third-party vendor capabilities, only using 510k cleared medical devices and implementing policies for data protection. Hospitals should prioritize partnerships with organizations that take a proactive approach to protecting health information across devices, systems and settings, so administrators, healthcare providers and patients have confidence about how care is delivered. By connecting devices, unlocking data and fostering collaboration, we will empower new forms of engagement, actionable insights and better health outcomes. Q. You have said that virtual care strategies cannot be a bandage on top of existing or new piecemeal solutions that work in silos, that a much-needed technology infrastructure must be established that not only enables faster and easier adoption of new capabilities, but also creates a transparent total cost of ownership. Please elaborate. A. Implementing telehealth solutions during the pandemic to supplement in-person care was like building a plane while flying it. Now healthcare organizations can be strategic, stabilize these infrastructures and revisit the technologies deployed in times of crisis and transform them into standard practices. Our world moving forward is one that embraces the best solutions available, leveraging both traditional care models as well as virtualization to provide quality care. This change isn't one that any one organization can do alone, and relies on partnerships with technology companies that enable and foster clinical creativity through co-creation and embrace the subscription economy. Healthcare organizations are increasingly partnering with those with proven track records in implementing foundational technology infrastructures and who can serve as consultants to drive their digital transformation. The ability to co-create has never been more important in driving outcomes. Working side by side with partners in the technology sector will help hospitals and health systems develop solutions from the ground up. There is value in disintermediated partners in this case, as they allow providers, vendors and patients to take collaboration to the next level. And health systems should be given flexibility when it comes to implementing and exploring virtual tools that are right for them. Rather than making a big capital investment upfront, they should be able to adopt solutions in a stepwise fashion, and scale up or down in real time. Today's healthcare organizations care more about access than they do about ownership. They want customized experiences and flexible payment options. That's why healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to subscription services, with a shift from buying a physical product to leveraging a holistic solution that provides ongoing value and engagement. By adopting these new business models, it not only enables faster and easier adoption of new capabilities, but also creates a transparent total cost of ownership. We've seen success with software-as-a-service models as a predictive, usage-based model that allows for faster innovation, but also reduces the demand for IT maintenance, standardizes service levels and usage, and helps providers quickly scale according to need. < Previous News Next News >

NM Telehealth Workgroup Hosted by the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance 7/29/2021 New Community Forum for NM Healthcare Peers on Telehealth Topics This is a monthly community forum to discuss telehealth issues with your healthcare peers. The intent is to help New Mexican systems advance remote care. Topics will change monthly and be directed by what the group members ask for. Hosted by the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance, our first session on July 29 is a collaboration with Presbyterian Healthcare Services and the University of New Mexico. We will explore audio only post-pandemic billing using HCPCS code G2252. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nm-telehealth-community-forum-registration-163947169397 < Previous News Next News >

Join Pivotal NM & The Grant Plant for an Overview of FCC's COVID-19 Telehealth Program Application Joohee Rand April 23, 2021 Pivotal NM is hosting an urgent info session this Friday April 23rd, 10am to provide an overview so that more providers will be ready for application from New Mexico. Anchorum St. Vincent has partnered with PIVOTAL NM to provide technical assistance in applying for the FCC’s Covid-19 Telehealth Program in 2021. $250M in total funding is available through this program this year, and FCC just announced that the application will be open from April 29 – May 6th, for just one week. Pivotal NM is hosting an urgent info session this Friday April 23rd, 10am to provide an overview so that more providers will be ready for application from New Mexico. Pivotal New Mexico will be also hosting additional office hours in the following week and can be available for further support in applications. Registration: https://mailchi.mp/pivotalnm.org/join-us-to-learn-about-fccs-telehealth-grant-app?e=95bb6af734 < Previous News Next News >