As public health emergency orders continue to lift across the U.S., several states have halted telehealth coverage or introduced new legislation to keep virtual care provisions intact. 

Telehealth usage among individuals with private health insurance fell for the second consecutive month in July, dropping by 6.7 percent, according to healthcare data cost organization Fair Health. 

Teladoc Health is expanding access to its virtual primary care service to U.S. commercial health plans and employers, the telehealth company announced Oct. 6. 

Staffing resources and uncertainty surrounding payer reimbursement are the two most significant barriers to telehealth's growth after the pandemic era, according to a September report by Amwell.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochulon Sept. 25 inked an executive order that will use telehealth to alleviate staffing shortages amid the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccination mandates.

Electronic signatures are a simple technology that can be implemented quickly and easily.

The Federal Communications Commission on Sept. 29 awarded a total of $41.1 million to 72 healthcare organizations as part of its $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program.

While 94 percent of clinicians use telehealth in their practices, some hospitals and health systems still haven't integrated a single, fully integrated platform to support virtual care, according to a recent Amwell survey. 

“Now is the time to permanently expand access to these services for the millions of people in the U.S. who need a safe, effective, and convenient option to access their care,” said Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, Chair of the Board of the ATA, Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, and Editor-in-Chief, npj Digital Medicine.

Asynchronous virtual care solutions — such as text messaging solutions and chatbots powered by artificial intelligence — can help support clinicians, address staff shortages and streamline the delivery of convenient, quality healthcare.

A slew of virtual healthcare providers have made millions from selling online COVID-19 consultations, as well as prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, The Intercept reported Sept. 28. 

Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University launched the Jefferson Center for Connected Care to reduce disparities in telehealth through research and innovation.

Patients who are older, male, Black, non-English-speaking or don't have a college education were less likely to choose telehealth options for their eye care during the pandemic, according to a study published Sept. 23 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health launched a digital health program to reduce the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to its hospitals, the company said Sept. 23. 

Amwell appointed Robert Shepardson to serve as its new CFO and head of mergers and acquisitions, effective Oct. 31. 

Americans are witnessing a foundational change in the way we experience medical care. While patient treatment has evolved in recent decades, thanks especially to the development of cutting-edge imaging and innovative treatments, the industry is poised to transform to such a degree that it will soon be unrecognizable to patients of the past.

States must improve how they track telehealth to treat behavioral health among Medicaid enrollees, as most states don't monitor fraud or measure how virtual visits improve patient care and access, HHS' Office of Inspector General said in a Sept. 21 report.

The Clinic, a joint virtual health venture between the Cleveland Clinic and Amwell, is teaming up with ReviveHealth to enable ReviveHealth members to get virtual second opinions for more than 550 specialties from Cleveland Clinic.

Below are five legal battles that have been filed by the Justice Department for their connection to telehealth fraud.

As the pandemic boosted telehealth usage, four payers have solidified their virtual care strategies.