The Biden administration is implementing measures to support the sustainability of healthcare providers in rural areas that include support access for telehealth services and bolstering cybersecurity. 

CMS has published a final rule Nov. 2 outlining policy adjustments for Medicare payments for telehealth through the physician fee schedule and various Medicare Part B matters, which will be in effect from Jan. 1 onward.

During a session at the 8th Annual Becker's Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Meeting, Cynthia Horner, MD, vice president with Amwell Medical Group, and Kathleen Mazza, PhD, RN, senior advisor for population health informatics at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health, discussed the use of artificial intelligence and automation in healthcare. 

In January, Allegheny Health Network's Forbes Hospital, based in Monroeville, Pa., will initiate a telehealth trial with 47 beds that enables a nurse located in Allegheny Center to welcome newly admitted patients and provide discharge instructions to those heading home, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Oct. 28.  

Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic is entering a know-how agreement with OPTAC-X, a telehealth company and remote physician company, to use OPTAC-X's hybrid LTE-global SATCOM telehealth tools within ambulances. 

In the third quarter, Teladoc increased its revenue by 8% to $660.2 million, while also reporting that it was able to lower its net losses. 

OSF HealthCare, based in Peoria, Ill., is testing virtual nursing in three medical-surgical units.

Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, Minn., is offering sleep care to its patients using its Mobile Health Clinic.

Saint Peter's Healthcare System, based in New Brunswick, N.J., is now offering patients 18 years and older access to urgent virtual care. 

Orlando (Fla.) Health is expanding its virtual care capabilities by launching AI-powered virtual nursing.

The American Hospital Association is asking CMS to stop a pending requirement that healthcare providers list their addresses if they're providing telehealth from their homes.

The Drug Enforcement Administration extended certain COVID-19 era rules to allow healthcare providers to continue prescribing certain controlled substances via telehealth through the end of 2024, The Hill reported Oct. 6.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Health + Hospitals have launched telehealth abortion access, becoming the first public health system in the nation to do so. 

CMS has proposed maintaining geographic flexibility for telehealth through Dec. 31, 2024, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to be treated virtually by physicians located anywhere in the U.S.

Despite the decline in telehealth usage in recent months, two telehealth companies are still valued at $3 billion or more, according to an Aug. 31 report from CB Insights.

The metaverse refers to immersive technologies such as extended reality (XR), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR.) These immersive technologies have the potential to help healthcare organizations improve health equity and reach other goals, from workforce shortages to patient engagement. Here are just two of the many ways that these technologies can be used to improve healthcare delivery:

Let's Talk Interactive, a software company specializing in telehealth, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sept. 21, the Charlotte Business Journal reported. 

Private insurers and Medicaid are lagging on virtual care coverage, while Medicare is leading the way, Politico reported Sept. 19. 

Telehealth visits, whether for primary or specialty care, tend to be assigned lower-level billing codes more often compared to in-person office visits within the same specialty, a new study from Epic Systems found. 

In May and June 2023, national telehealth utilization remained consistent at 5.4 percent of claim lines, although the Midwest experienced a 2.4 percent decrease in utilization, according to FAIR Health's Sept 6 report.