Partnership to Advance Virtual Care’s Post

PAVC applauds the Bipartisan Primary and Virtual Care Affordability Act, which was reintroduced yesterday by Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Brad Schneider (D-IL). This bill would enhance the affordability of primary care and telehealth for patients with High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). Read the full announcement, and PAVC's statement of support, here: https://lnkd.in/efxSf7VH #telehealth #virtualcare #healthpolicy

The proposed rule includes various provisions related to telehealth service delivery and other virtual care modalities. Similar to recent proposed rules, many of the provisions seek to extend temporary telehealth and virtual care flexibilities implemented since the COVID-19 public health emergency through the end of CY2025. #telehealth #telehealthpolicy #PFS

#InTheNews: Federal telehealth waivers have been extended for two more years, allowing patients to continue accessing healthcare from the comfort of their homes. This means no geographic restrictions and the inclusion of audio-only visits. Plus, the Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative is here to stay! At Palmetto Care Connections, we're dedicated to empowering our patients with convenient, high-quality care. Read the full Center for Connected Health Policy article here: https://lnkd.in/gFg4Zpu4

📊 Key Insights on American Healthcare Trends 📊 1️⃣ 1/3 of Americans Skipped Their Annual Physical: This includes a majority of single men. 26% said they felt healthy enough to skip it. 2️⃣ Age-Based Healthcare Gaps: Most feel providers address their concerns, but satisfaction is lower among those under 50. 3️⃣ Telehealth Usage Declining: Most rarely used telehealth, but many are satisfied with the current balance of virtual and in-person care. 4️⃣ Prescription Medication Use: 75% take at least one prescription, and 60% say their most expensive one costs under $40. 5️⃣ Trust in Healthcare Info: Less than 20% find it difficult to access trustworthy health information. #Healthcare #HealthTrends #Telehealth #PatientCare #PrescriptionMedication #ConsumerOmnibus

Earlier this week, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a legislative hearing to discuss 15 bills designed to extend the flexibilities that Congress expanded to increase patient access to #telehealth services during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Summaries of each bill can be found in the subcommittee’s hearing memo here: https://lnkd.in/epJ3FNAk Here are a few key takeaways from the hearing: - There was a bipartisan agreement that telehealth has improved access to care for Americans, especially for rural and underserved populations, and pandemic flexibilities should be extended. - Witnesses urged Members to enable #CMS to collect data on telehealth utilization and health outcomes. - Members and witnesses raised concern over telehealth increasing healthcare costs and suggested evaluating potential long-term impacts. - Members and witnesses highlighted the importance of patient autonomy when deciding between virtual or in-person care. - Many Members supported H.R. 4189, the CONNECT for Health Act of 2023 and H.R. 7623, The Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024. #healthcarepolicy

The House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee held a markup last week, during which the subcommittee advanced several telehealth bills, including a bill that would extend certain Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2026, along with a permanent extension of telehealth services for federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. Below are some key vote outcomes from the markup: - H.R. 7858, Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act of 2024: Passed unanimously, 22-0 - H.R. 7623, Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024: Passed unanimously, 21-0 - H.R. 1406, Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act: Passed by voice vote - H.R. 7856, PREVENT DIABETES Act: Passed by voice vote Of note, both H.R. 7623, Telehealth Modernization Act, and H.R. 7858, Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act, contain similar provisions that create a new modifier for certain telehealth services. #telehealth #healthcarepolicy

What’s Next for Telehealth? Key Policy Changes to Watch: Telehealth saw explosive growth during the pandemic, with the percentage of practices using it skyrocketing from 14% in 2018 to 74% post-pandemic (American Medical Association). But as we move further from the pandemic, many of the policies that made telehealth possible are being re-examined, which could impact everything from practice workflows to reimbursement rates. In our latest blog, Peggy Kelly and Victoria Richmond explore how upcoming telehealth policy changes could affect your practice, particularly in areas like behavioral health, Medicare reimbursements, and the prescribing of controlled substances. Staying informed could be the key to navigating these changes smoothly and continuing to provide quality care. 🔗 Click here to learn more about what’s ahead for telehealth→ https://ow.ly/sslQ50THlKh #Telehealth #HealthcarePolicy #FutureOfTelehealth #HealthcareInnovation #RCM #Telemedicine

PAVC submitted a statement to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee following its April 10 hearing titled “Legislative Proposals To Support Patient Access To Telehealth Services.” In our statement, we reiterate that Congress must address Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities before they expire at the end of this year and urge the committee to consider and advance legislation that would permanently extend pandemic-era Medicare telehealth flexibilities. Read our full statement here:  https://lnkd.in/ediCSPUk #telehealth #virtualcare #healthpolicy

#WorldSickleCellAwarenessDay, Mobihealth celebrates the champions – the patients, families, and healthcare providers battling this chronic illness every single day. We recognize the immense strength and resilience required to navigate the challenges of sickle cell (SC). With Mobihealth telehealth consultations, patients can connect with specialists remotely, reducing travel burdens and improving access to care. #Mobihealth #Teleconsulation #HealthcareAtFingertip #WorldSickelCellAwarenessDay

'Stay left, shift left' or is this more of a 'shift left'? Interesting piece in Politico 11 May: ‘Hospital’s New Message for Patients: Stay Home’ by Daniel Payne. Obviously the article has a US focus – referencing Medicaid and Medicare and recent bipartisan support for extending cover for telehealth and ‘at-home’ care. Different parties are referencing the benefits: patient has a less gruelling experience, government anticipating reduced costs and broadening access to services (e.g. in remote communities), hospitals seeing a route to ‘balancing the books’ or making a margin. What’s enabling this? Technology and the experience gained during the pandemic. Those with the tech see an opportunity to change the model and leverage the technology to provide some of their services in a home setting (monitoring devices, communications platforms, artificial intelligence). And if they provide an improved patient experience – that’s good too. Whether this development is likely to reduce care costs is debateable. Those who have the capability to deliver this type of service are not looking to reduce their income/ margin – and will look to recover costs of significant investment in new systems and processes. Those who do not have these solutions and skills may be squeezed further or may find themselves buying the required solutions from the bigger players. To me much of this overlaps closely with the ‘Stay Left, Shift Left’ strategy outlined in 2020 (https://lnkd.in/eJaAAw8K). This focused on the urgent need for healthcare transformation through digital adoption to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3: ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. It highlights the concept of "Stay Left, Shift Left" (SL2), which aims to keep healthy people well and shift patient care from hospitals to community and home settings using digital technologies. Clearly moving toward models whereby services delivered in the home by providers are reimburseable is key to making this happen. Seems like both Republicans and Democrats recognise this in the US. https://lnkd.in/eUd9YvDb #stayleftshiftleft #remotemedicine #healthcare