We are combining our Telemedicine and Virtual Care reports into Telemedicine 2020. We are seeking out the latest developments around Telemedicine. How is telemedicine used to benefit patients and care givers? What are the newest innovations in telemedicine technology? How telehealth and virtual care fit into the realm of Telemedicine.
Industry News:
Fairhealth Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker
The Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker uses FAIR Health (@fairhealth) data to track how telehealth is evolving on a monthly basis. Selecting a month and clicking on one of the four US census regions in the map below will display an infographic on telehealth in that month in that region. Clicking on national statistics will display an infographic for the nation as a whole. Each infographic includes a 2019 vs. 2020 comparison for that month of telehealth’s.
According to new data from FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, telehealth claim lines increased 4,132 percent nationally from June 2019 to June 2020, rising from 0.16 percent of medical claim lines in June 2019 to 6.85 percent in June 2020. Although considerable, that increase was less than the year-to-year increase the previous month, when telehealth claim lines increased 5,680 percent nationally, from 0.15 percent of medical claim lines in May 2019 to 8.69 percent in May 2020.The data represent the privately insured population, excluding Medicare and Medicaid.
WELL Health to acquire majority stake in US Silicon Valley-Based Circle Medical in Move to Become North America’s Leading Provider of Telehealth Services
WELL Health (@wellhealthcorp) is expanding into the $3.6 trillion dollar US healthcare market through a $14M USD control investment in Circle Medical, a US technology company in the delivery of quality telehealth and in-person healthcare experiences. WELL is a capital allocator and an omni-channel digital health company whose overarching objective is to empower doctors to provide the best and most advanced care possible, using the latest technology.
Insurer Centene invests in start-up Hazel Health in $33.5 million venture funding round
According to CNBC Hazel Health (@hazelhealthinc), the five year old start-up raised $33.5 million in a series C funding round, led by Owl Ventures and Bain Capital as well as insurer Centene and other investors.
Progressive Care Enters into Letter of Intent to Acquire Telehealth Service Provider MyApps Corp.
Progressive Care Inc. (@ProgressCareUS), a personalized healthcare services and technology company, is excited to announce that on September 1, 2020, the Company entered into a Letter of Intent to acquire one hundred percent of MyApps Corp., a developer of healthcare software, which includes the emerging telehealth service app CallingDr.
Teladoc Health Is Providing Free Virtual Health Care Services to Those Impacted by Hurricane Laura
Teladoc Health (@teladochealth), a virtual care company, is providing free, 24/7 general medical telehealth visits to residents, first responders and others directly impacted by Hurricane Laura which is set to have significant impact across the Texas and Louisiana Coasts and up through Arkansas. Individuals who have been displaced or who cannot access medical care as a result of the hurricane can seek treatment from a board-certified, state licensed physician for any non-emergency illness by calling Teladoc directly at 855-225-5032.
Product News:
Greenway Health develops new telehealth solution to further support healthcare providers in a virtual care environment
On the heels of an agreement with Amazon Web Services to develop a cloud-based data services platform, Greenway Health (@greenway), a health information technology and services provider, announced the company is also working to develop innovative virtual care solutions that are now essential for today’s ambulatory care practices.
To Read:
Our New Normal: The Rise In Telemedicine Adoption And Its Role After The Pandemic
According to Forbes as we experience a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, healthcare consumers are continuing to adjust their expectations for what healthcare will look like in the future. Healthcare’s digital front doors are opening up access, and providers are adopting telemedicine technology to meet the growing demand for risk-free, convenient and cost-effective access to care. Welcome to our new normal — the age of the digital doctor’s office.
Access to Telemedicine Is Hardest for Those Who Need It Most
Wired reports that nationwide, 41 percent of people covered by Medicare don’t have an internet-capable computer or smartphone at home, according to a recent paper coauthored by Eric L. Roberts, who teaches health policy at University of Pittsburgh, and Ateev Mehrotra, a health policy professor at Harvard Medical School. Black and Latinx elderly people were less likely to have internet access than white people, the authors reported, and people who have lower incomes, are enrolled in Medicaid, or have a disability were also less likely to have access to the internet.
Making the Cut:
Tyto Care Named to the 2020 CB Insights Digital Health 150 List of Most Innovative Digital Health Startups
CB Insights named Tyto Care (@TytoCare) to its second annual Digital Health 150 ranking, which showcases the 150 most promising private digital health companies in the world. This is the second consecutive year that Tyto Care has been named to the prestigious CB Insights list.
Telehealth’s post-pandemic future: Where do we go from here?
AMA Contributing News Writer, Len Strazewski reports that looking to the future, Meg Barron, AMA’s vice president of digital innovation, said the key challenge may be optimizing use of telehealth. “All signs point to more health at home” and determining how to optimize in person and virtual care, she said.
Listen:
HealthcareNOW Radio Telehealth Playlist
The Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines telehealth as “the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration.” To learn more and find out about the latest in telehealth tune in to the episodes on this playlist. Additionally, be sure to read HCNR’s Friday Five which recaps the site’s month long concentration on telehealth.
Watch:
Current and Future State of Telehealth – a Virtual Panel Discussion with Industry Leaders
In this Virtual Panel Discussion, Moderator and Healthcare attorney, Matt R. Fisher (@Matt_R_Fisher) is joined by panelists: Robert M. Tennant, MA, Director, Health Information Technology Policy for MGMA (@MGMA😉 Alison Armstrong, MA, Health Policy Director at Anthem and co-chair of the WEDI Telehealth Workgroup (@WEDIonline) and Jim Tate (@jimtate,) Chief Product Officer of MediVisum and host of The Tate Chronicles to discuss the current and future state of telehealth. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought industry-wide attention and sweeping legislative initiatives to telehealth as a means for care delivery in a safe, secure and socially-distant environment.
Check out this 75-minute panel discussion on our YouTube Channel.
Events:
ATA2020 Conference & Expo
Virtual Event
Hashtag: #ATA2020
Listen to recorded sessions.
ATA2020 is the world’s largest telehealth innovation and networking event. It’s where providers, technology developers, business professionals and leaders from across the healthcare sector come together to have an in-depth, thoughtful, critical discussion about the future of health.
The American Telemedicine Association Events
ATA is a non-profit association based in Washington DC with a membership network of more than 10,000 industry leaders and healthcare professionals. We are a leading telehealth association helping to transform healthcare by improving the quality, equity and affordability of healthcare throughout the world. Find their next event.
Defining the industry according to the AAFP
Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. It occurs using a telecommunications infrastructure between a patient (at an originating or spoke site) and a physician or other practitioner licensed to practice medicine (at a distant or hub site).
Virtual Care is a patient service model for healthcare providers.
Telehealth refers to a broad collection of electronic and telecommunications technologies that support health care delivery and services from distant locations. Telehealth technologies support virtual medical, health, and education services.
Hashtags to follow for updates on Telemedicine: