Telehealth among older adults increased from 13,000 weekly telehealth visits pre-pandemic to a near 1.7 million weekly visits during April 2020, the majority of which were by Medicare beneficiaries. Earlier this year, the University of Virginia Health System along with the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center at UVA Health, as well as other partners, launched the […]
Read More… from UVA Health Helping Ensure Quality Telehealth Care for Older Adults
As the dust settles from the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), vast changes in health policy continue to follow. This month’s round-up focuses on the effect the end of the PHE has had on health insurance, the role of telehealth in curbing mental health struggles, the cost of employer-sponsored telehealth versus in-person care, […]
Read More… from Up to The Minute: PHE and Telehealth News – June 2023
Felecia Smith’s primary job is to help ensure that individuals who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing can get access to information. Her main objective for becoming a Virginia Telehealth Network member is to educate health care providers of their obligations to Deaf and Hard of Hearing patients and the ways in which their practices […]
Read More… from Enhancing Telehealth for Patients who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
This round-up is dedicated to the latest news about telehealth use, the expiration of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), and the importance of maintaining access to telehealth moving forward. Below you will find new reports on how increased telehealth access is cutting health care costs in rural areas, information about a new bill that will […]
Read More… from Up to The Minute: PHE Updates and Telehealth News
As we approach the end of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, it’s important to reflect on the breadth and depth of mental health issues across the country. Virtually every adult agrees the country is facing a mental health crisis, as nearly a third of U.S. adults report feelings of depression and/or anxiety. Younger generations […]
Read More… from Mental Health Awareness Month: Increasing Mental Health Resources
Two days before a proposed rule change by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulating the prescribing of controlled substances via telemedicine was set to take effect, the agency issued a temporary rule to extend COVID-era telehealth prescribing flexibilities for another six months, through November 11, 2023. Apparently, the DEA was listening. The agency received some […]
Read More… from Tele-Prescribing Flexibilities Extended Just Ahead of PHE Expiration
Continued access to telehealth services will remain a priority for health care providers across the country when the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends on May 11. This news roundup highlights extended legislative flexibilities regarding telehealth in Virginia, how telehealth has helped reduce fatal overdose risk, a new bill seeking to eliminate deductibles and increase telehealth, […]
Read More… from In the News: Permanent and Proposed Rules Regarding End of PHE
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) released Virginia’s first State Telehealth Plan in 2021 to promote an integrated approach to the introduction and use of telehealth services in the Commonwealth. By law, the Plan includes provisions for the use of remote patient monitoring services and store-and-forward technologies as well as the promotion of the inclusion […]
This news roundup highlights various new studies about behavioral health needs and the industry’s effort to meet new demands, a new statistic showing the use of telehealth services by individuals who travel, a spike in telehealth care use for marginalized groups in the United States, and the concern for telehealth service apps. New Report Calls […]
There is a great need for behavioral and mental health services in Virginia. A Mental Health America report ranked Virginia 39th nationwide when it comes to the availability of mental health services for adults, with 125 out of 133 cities and counties in the state designated as Mental Health Professional Shortages Areas. To help expand […]
Read More… from VTN-Led Initiative Now Offering Free Telemental Health Services Statewide