A swift though lesser-remarked-on transformation happened as well in medical care. As lockdowns loomed, state and federal regulators eased restrictions on "telehealth." That led to more virtual visits in Minnesota and elsewhere, with doctors and patients communicating via video or a phone call in lieu of a clinic appointment. A year later, there's a timely debate at the Minnesota Capitol over whether to maintain telehealth expansion measures, which are set to expire 60 days after the end of the peacetime COVID emergency. The answer should be yes, let's keep going. A dispute between two key health care stakeholders — providers and insurers — over payment levels for telehealth care shouldn't derail the legislation to do so.
CHICAGO, IL — The use of telehealth appointments during the pandemic has ushered in a new dawn of virtual care. States have eased restrictions and providers have boosted staff to handle the increase in online care. But it's not just routine appointments anymore.
Bright Health, the Minneapolis-based specialty health insurer, has acquired a telehealth business, also located in Minneapolis, to expand access for personalized health care. Terms of its deal to buy Zipnosis Inc., which developed a virtual care platform, were not disclosed.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic there have been few silver linings. But health experts say one good thing the pandemic has caused is an expansion of telehealth. A proposal to keep many of the state’s pandemic-era telehealth practices in place is moving forward, but some say a few important provisions aren't including in the legislation.
Calling it a simple, smart and trusted way for providers and patients to conduct data-driven virtual care conversations, Verizon Business this week announced BlueJeans Telehealth. Telehealth, which has exploded in use during the pandemic, is expected to remain as a leading vehicle for care moving forward, studies are showing. In fact, a recent white paper said 81% of health care organizations expect to see a greater investment in telehealth solutions over the next 2-3 years, with 85% of decision-makers identifying “ease of use” as a Top 5 driver in producing good outcomes from telehealth.
A judge has temporarily blocked an Ohio ban on the use of telemedicine for medication abortions as a suit challenging the law’s constitutionality proceeds. The two-week restraining order was granted by a Hamilton County judge late Tuesday in a case brought last week by Planned Parenthood against the Ohio Department of Health, the state Medical Board and prosecutors in the state’s three largest counties.