What's New(s)
Telehealth regulations have been relaxed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, triggering interest and support for virtual care owing to its benefits like convenience and safety.
Another less spoken advantage of telemedicine is the availability of specialists for patients especially suffering from chronic diseases like cancer.
The Telehealth Improvement for Kids’ Essential Services, or TIKES, Act of 2020 requires the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to states about ways to increase access to telehealth solutions under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, federal policymakers enacted 31 changes to facilitate greater access to telehealth. The members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions questioned, how many of these changes should be made permanent and ensure that the most vulnerable won’t be left behind.
Analysts at Forrester Research say that the adoption of telemedicine has shifted to hyper drive over the past month since virtual healthcare interactions have caught pace to top 1 billion by year’s end. This represents a massive expansion from telemedicine usage before the COVID-19 pandemic.
URAC has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the programs of ClearHealth Quality Institute (CHQI), which is a health care accreditation organization based in Annapolis, MD.
