MedPAC commissioners hint at telehealth policies that may stick post-COVID-19

"Pandora's box is open," Commissioner Susan Thompson, interim CEO of UnityPoint Health, said Friday, urging the group to embrace the moment.

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 8, 2020

HHS issues plan to improve rural health, leaning on telehealth

But the Trump administration's lengthy plan falls short of a complete overhaul, citing relatively small funding increases and a fair amount of initiatives already in place.

By Ron Shinkman • Sept. 4, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Artificial intelligence

Amid mounting interest and investment in the space, it's clear AI’s applications in healthcare will only continue to grow.

By Healthcare Dive staff

Telehealth claims dipped second month in a row in June: Fair Health

Though virtual care use remains extremely high compared to 2019, claim lines fell 21% from May to June as states began to allow in-person care once again.

By Rebecca Pifer • Sept. 3, 2020

Apple, Google take front seat on apps in new COVID-19 exposure notifications tech

The move is almost certain to exacerbate privacy concerns around the venture as the tech giants take point on creating the exposure notification apps themselves: previously under the purview of public health authorities.

By Rebecca Pifer • Sept. 1, 2020

Long-term virtual care plans evade providers, small executive survey finds

Remote patient monitoring is still a work in progress for most — only four of the 19 executives surveyed by Klas said their organizations currently have a working program.

By Hailey Mensik • Aug. 31, 2020

Health's new future for technology

Healthcare leaders are facing a new future, and the importance of technology has never been more apparent. Respond by focusing on six key areas.

By Chris D'hondt, Andy Thompson, Jenica McHugh & Dan Dugas • Aug. 28, 2020

4 in 10 say COVID-19 reduced their access to care, CDC survey shows

A separate survey from the agency found that nearly 37% of people said their provider now offers a form of telehealth, compared to about 14% who said it was offered before the pandemic.

By Shannon Muchmore • Aug. 27, 2020

Amazon launches wellness wearable, to compete with Fitbit and Apple Watch

The tech giant claims the Halo band device can monitor a user's emotional state by listening to tone of voice and it uses 3D renderings to track body fat percentage.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 27, 2020

Google Health, Philips among players pitching digital therapeutics standards

HP, Livongo and ResMed are also part of the effort led by the Consumer Technology Association to identify best practices to guide growth in the emerging field as COVID-19 drives demand for home-based treatments.

By Susan Kelly • Aug. 27, 2020

Abbott gets emergency authorization for rapid $5 COVID-19 antigen test

As the fourth company to get the FDA emergency nod, the medtech giant's scale makes it a "significant entry [that] could help democratize testing," said former agency head Scott Gottlieb.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Aug. 27, 2020

First platform in embattled VA-Cerner EHR project goes live

The $16 billion initiative has been dogged by delays, infrastructure problems and leadership turnover since 2018.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 26, 2020

Fitbit launches new smartwatch as EKG feature awaits FDA's OK

The device, which includes a skin temperature sensor and a heart rate tracker, comes as wearables are being trialed as early warning devices for COVID-19.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 25, 2020

Amwell files IPO with $100M boost from Google

Amwell, one of the country's biggest telehealth companies, will become Google Cloud's preferred telehealth platform as part of the multiyear partnership.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 25, 2020

AHA urges HHS to make telehealth rollbacks permanent

While the 2021 physician fee schedule released earlier this month offers additional telehealth flexibilities, it's not enough to ensure continued virtual care access, the hospital lobby contends.

By Hailey Mensik • Aug. 20, 2020

Uber Health forays into prescription drug delivery

The rideshare company is angling for a slice of the lucrative U.S. prescription drug market through a partnership with on-demand prescription delivery platform NimbleRx.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 20, 2020

Lyft claims NEMT program helps Medicaid beneficiary health access

The ridehailing giant and chief rival Uber have touted the efficacy of their non-emergency medical transportation programs, but traditional transportation brokers say they can't meet the niche needs of many U.S. patients.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 19, 2020

Employers expect to boost virtual care offerings, survey finds

Business Group on Health's annual survey also found roughly 80% of respondents believe telehealth will play a significant role in how care is delivered in the future, up from 64% in 2019 and 52% in 2018.

By Hailey Mensik • Aug. 18, 2020

Telemedicine, remote monitoring hottest 2020 digital health startups, CB Insight finds

Twelve unicorn companies are on this year's list, including Ro, a telehealth platform that provides remote care and medication delivery services, and insurer Oscar.

By Hailey Mensik • Aug. 13, 2020

One Medical beats Q2 estimates, rolls out new telehealth option

The primary care chain that went public earlier this year also said it's entering North Carolina and Wisconsin, bringing its presence to 15 markets.

By Shannon Muchmore • Aug. 13, 2020

Teladoc-Livongo: Is the first digital health megadeal 'outrageous' or a starter gun for virtual care M&A?

Despite some initial investor skepticism, some experts say the tie-up could usher in bigger deals for the virtual care space.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 6, 2020

Virginia first state to fully deploy COVID-19 exposure notification app based on Apple-Google tech

A series of barriers could reduce efficacy of the app, including consumer uptake, human error and worries about government and Silicon Valley spying.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 6, 2020

iRhythm stock leaps 33% after CMS pitches new reimbursement codes

Permanent codes validate the digital health company's wearable heart monitoring technology and could drive more widespread adoption for detection of atrial fibrillation and other abnormal rhythms, CEO Kevin King said.

By Susan Kelly • Aug. 5, 2020

Teladoc to buy Livongo in $18.5B deal

An explosion in use of virtual care may have sped up the timeline for the deal. Investors were not on board, driving down shares in both companies.

By Shannon Muchmore • Updated Aug. 5, 2020

CMS expands telehealth coverage in physician fee rule following Trump executive order

The agency proposed making permanent almost two dozen new telehealth codes. A notable exception is Medicare's temporary reimbursement for audio-only visits, though the agency did ask for public input on the omission.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 4, 2020

Quarter of Medicare members can't access telehealth visits, JAMA studies show

The gallop to digital delivery of care may have left more marginalized populations without access to high-speed internet, a smartphone or even a computer behind, two studies suggest.

By Rebecca Pifer • Aug. 3, 2020