At the Federal level it was both smart and arguably inevitable that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) moved quickly to reduce barriers to telehealth implementation. This helped patients and providers today, right now. But what about tomorrow, and the future of telemedicine? Well here’s a “tell” coming out of Washington… along with categories like skilled nursing facilities and community health centers, the the $200M telehealth fund being overseen by outgoing FCC Chairman Ajit Pai as part of the March 2020 CARES Act specifically directed funding to post-secondary educational institutions offering healthcare instruction – such as teaching hospitals and medical schools. It’s becoming quite clear that the generation of doctors that is arriving in the post-pandemic era will be telemedicine fluent.
Telehealth News
“With intensifying concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become of paramount importance to ensure the safety of patients and physicians. As the regulations surrounding telehealth continue to be modified, nearly by the day, health insurance providers have enacted their own emergency plans to protect and care for beneficiaries.”
-American Journal of Managed Care, Telehealth During COVID-19; How Hospitals, Healthcare Providers are Optimizing Virtual Care Care, March 13, 2020
“President Donald Trump offered Americans a fresh weapon to fight the novel coronavirus in his Rose Garden emergency declarationon Friday: Telehealth. In his remarks, Trump said his administration will waive certain federal rules to make it easier for more doctors to provide care remotely using video chats and other services. “I tell you, what they’ve done with telehealth is incredible,” he said, describing the technology as “a fairly new and incredible thing that’s happened in the not-so-distant past.”
CNN.com, Trump Boosts Telehealth Services in the Fight Against Corona Virus
“With intensifying concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become of paramount importance to ensure the safety of patients and physicians. As the regulations surrounding telehealth continue to be modified, nearly by the day, health insurance providers have enacted their own emergency plans to protect and care for beneficiaries.”
American Journal of Managed Care, Telehealth During COVID-19; How Hospitals, Healthcare Providers are Optimizing Virtual Care Care, March 13, 2020
Dr. Karapetian has over 30 years’ experience practicing medicine and treating patients in California. He said, you almost need a crisis for people to accept new ways to engage or do business. This is very true in the healthcare industry. Dr. Karapetian said that the corona virus pandemic changed everything overnight – suddenly, his practice had no choice but to implement and promote telemedicine.
Forbes, March 29,2020, Post-Coronavirus, How Telemedicine Could Upend the Healthcare System
Online health care helps patients and medical workers—and will be a legacy of combating the novel coronavirus, says Eric Topol of Scripps Research.
Economist.com, Telemedicine is Essential Amid the Coronavirus Epidemic and After It
Risk of serious illness from the coronavirus is greater for older people and those with underlying health problems such as lung conditions, diabetes or heart problems. Many Medicare beneficiaries are managing chronic health issues that put them at heightened risk. The telemedicine expansion is geared directly to this vulnerable group.
U.S. News & World Report, March 19, 2020, To Keep Seniors Safe at Home, Medicare Expands Telemedicine
All aspects of U.S. society are going through rapid changes during the COVID-19 outbreak. The national call to “flatten the curve” by social distancing underscores the need to strengthen telehealth services. We will win the battle against this virus. Telehealth will stay with a promise to make health care cheaper and accessible to everyone in the United States.
nj.com, March 19, 2020, Coronavirus is Leading Us to the Future of Healthcare. It’s Called Telemedicine.
Over the last decade, venture capitalists have funded more than $4 billion in U.S. telemedicine deals, according to transaction tracker PitchBook Data Inc. They’ve long hoped online health will catch on because of its promise to expand access and lower cost, yet never dreamed it would face so much demand, so quickly.
Bloomberg.com, March 23, 2020, Investors Bet Billions on Virtual Doctor Visits Before Virus Fueled a Boom
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