Category: telehealth

AHA asks CMS to stop telehealth rule

The American Hospital Association is asking CMS to stop a pending requirement that healthcare providers list their addresses if they’re providing telehealth from their homes.

DEA extends controlled substance prescription via telehealth

The Drug Enforcement Administration extended certain COVID-19 era rules to allow healthcare providers to continue prescribing certain controlled substances via telehealth through the end of 2024, The Hill reported Oct. 6.

NYC Health + Hospitals to offer telehealth abortion care

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Health + Hospitals have launched telehealth abortion access, becoming the first public health system in the nation to do so. 

CMS to maintain geographic flexibility for telehealth

CMS has proposed maintaining geographic flexibility for telehealth through Dec. 31, 2024, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to be treated virtually by physicians located anywhere in the U.S.

5 most highly valued telehealth unicorns

Despite the decline in telehealth usage in recent months, two telehealth companies are still valued at $3 billion or more, according to an Aug. 31 report from CB Insights.

Telehealth firm files for bankruptcy

Let’s Talk Interactive, a software company specializing in telehealth, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sept. 21, the Charlotte Business Journal reported. 

Private Insurer Payments for Telehealth and In-Person Claims During the Pandemic

This analysis of 2021 claims data finds that while telehealth use remained high in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift toward virtual physician and mental health care did not materially affect how much insurers paid for each patient enc…

Telehealth coded as less complex than in-person care: Study

Telehealth visits, whether for primary or specialty care, tend to be assigned lower-level billing codes more often compared to in-person office visits within the same specialty, a new study from Epic Systems found. 

National telehealth utilization remains stable

In May and June 2023, national telehealth utilization remained consistent at 5.4 percent of claim lines, although the Midwest experienced a 2.4 percent decrease in utilization, according to FAIR Health’s Sept 6 report.

Almost 90% of telehealth visits do not require in-person follow-up

About 89 percent of telehealth visits nationally do not require an in-person follow-up visit for the same clinical reason within one week, according to an Aug. 20 study from Trilliant health.