Telemedicine and pharmacy discount company GoodRx is offering free telehealth visits to Tennessee residents through the end of Labor Day weekend in response to the flooding devastating the state.

Telemedicine website SpeakWithAnMD.com, which is partnered with anti-vaccine group America's Frontline Doctors, has been fielding an increasing number of requests for ivermectin as misinformation spreads online claiming the drug is a miracle cure for COVID-19, NBC reported Aug. 27. 

The Federal Communications Commission on Aug. 26 awarded $41.9 million in funding to 62 healthcare organizations as part of its $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program.

When the pandemic began, most states, along with CMS, waived telehealth restrictions requiring clinicians to be licensed in the state where their patient lives. Now, some states are discontinuing those waivers, meaning many patients receiving telehealth care from a clinician in another state may have to find a new care plan.

While the hospital at home is now receiving a great deal of attention, due in part to COVID-19, "the model has been in existence for quite some time," Doug Lang, VP of client growth at Health Recovery Solutions, said. "This isn't a novel idea; it is a well-proven model." The hospital at home has been used in other countries for years and hospitals across many states are exploring the concept.

Older Americans use musculoskeletal telehealth programs more than younger people, though pain outcomes are similar across all generations, according to a study published in Frontiers of Digital Health.

For many patients, care has been restricted to the four walls of a hospital. With COVID-19, however, those boundaries have blurred, and health systems are finding innovative ways to serve individuals where they are.

Salim Saiyed, MD, vice president and chief medical information officer at Pittsburgh-based UPMC, will serve as course director of the American Board of Telehealth's new teleprimary care certificate program. 

The Biden administration is investing more than $19 million into telehealth services in rural and underserved communities through a series of initiatives, HHS announced Aug. 18. 

Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health and TytoCare are partnering to enable remote medical exams with a handheld exam kit provided to the patient.

Researchers from Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine conducted a study in August to determine if the costs hospitals pay for telehealth visits differ from in-person visits.

Telehealth fraud is costing the federal government billions of dollars. Physicians and telehealth company employees have been connected to several kickback schemes and making fraudulent Medicaid and Medicare claims, according to an Aug. 12 National Law Review report.

Amwell reported $60.2 million in revenue during the second quarter of 2021, up 5 percent from the previous quarter. 

Grand Rounds Health is teaming up with HealthComp, an independent health benefits administrator, to offer its healthcare navigation and medical opinion services to HealthComp's clients, the companies announced Aug. 10. 

Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers developed an EHR-embedded calculator that identifies patients who are likely to need technical assistance before a video visit, Harvard Business Review reported Aug. 10. 

Aetna, a CVS Health company, on Aug. 10 unveiled its new virtual primary care service for self-funded employers powered by Teladoc Health. 

Telehealth use among individuals with private health insurance stabilized in May after three months of dropping rates, according to healthcare data cost organization Fair Health.

Patients with Apple devices can now join telehealth appointments in a HIPAA-compliant setting without downloading Zoom's app, the company said Aug. 9.

The shift to telehealth and remote care poses challenges for the healthcare workforce. With the right preparation and technology, however, the industry can adjust to the new model and support workers and patients.

University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers in Ann Arbor, Mich., topped the list of hospitals providing telehealth visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis from Hospital Pricing Specialists.