Davia Smith

-mHealth Intelligence

“Telehealth advocates are once again asking the Justice Department to follow through with its pledge to create a special registration process for healthcare providers who want to prescribe controlled substances through a telemedicine platform.

As required by the Special Registration for Telemedicine Act of 2018, which was part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act signed into law by President Trump in late 2018, the US Drug Enforcement Agency has until October 24 to set the ground rules for providers with a special registration to prescribe controlled substances.

With that deadline fast approaching, the Center for Telehealth & e-Health Law (CTeL) sent a letter to Scott Brinks, section chief of the DEA’s Regulatory Drafting & Policy Support Section, urging the agency to create that special registration, which would enable provider to prescribe controlled substances without the need for a prior in-person exam.”

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-mHealth Intelligence

Remote patient monitoring and telehealth play prominently in the 2020 CPT codes unveiled this month by the American Medical Association.

Among the 248 new codes added to the list for the coming year, the AMA has created six for online digital evaluation services, or e-visits, in which care providers can connect with patients at home to exchange information. Three codes – 99421, 99422 and 99423 – relate to patient-initiated digital communication provided by a physician or other qualified healthcare professional, while three others – 98970, 98971 and 98972 – focus on communications with a “non-physician healthcare professional.”

The new codes represent a continuing trend toward RPM services, as hospitals and health systems look to extend care to the home or other non-traditional settings and collaborate with patients and other care providers on care management.

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– Kyle Wiggers (VentureBeat Newsletters)

“Gigstreem (formerly Rainbow Broadband), a Tysons, Virginia-based internet service provider targeting residential and commercial customers, today announced that it has raised $10 million in a series A round led by RET Ventures, with participation from LNC Partners.

Gigstreem offers six-month contracts with an early termination fee to customers in New York, Baltimore, Orlando, South Carolina, and Virginia. Fully symmetrical 150Mbps tiers start at $50, going up to $80 and $100 for 400Mbps and 1Gbps, respectively.”

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– Matthew Gavidia (AJMC Newsroom)

“School-based telemedicine was shown to potentially enhance healthcare benefits for children with chronic diseases, such as asthma, in rural and medically underserved communities, according to a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics.”

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– Mary Katherine Wildeman (The Post & Courier)

“Berkeley County is asking for its citizens’ help in figuring out who in the county doesn’t have adequate broadband internet service. Governments looking to make investments in broadband, which includes fiber optic, satellite, cable and DSL connections, need to know exactly where service is lacking in order to know where to spend.”

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-Becker’s Hospital Review

“As the southeastern U.S. braces for the impact of Hurricane Dorian, several hospitals and health systems have announced that they will provide telehealth services free of charge to patients affected by the storm.

Hurricane Dorian has already caused at least five deaths in the Bahamas, according to The New York Times. As of Sept. 3, the now-Category 2 hurricane has begun moving slowly away from the Bahamas and toward Florida, with the storm expected to reach Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia by the end of the week.

Here are seven hospitals and health systems offering free virtual visits due to the hurricane:

• AdventHealth (Altamonte Springs, Fla.): free eCare video consultations in the AdventHealth app for Floridians’ urgent health problems throughout the storm.
• Bayfront Health (St. Petersburg, Fla.): free Virtual Health Connect visits via mobile device, computer or tablet through Sept. 14, with code DORIAN.
• Beaufort (S.C.) Memorial Hospital: free, 24/7 non-emergency virtual medical care through the BMH Care Anywhere app or website through Sept. 15, with code Dorian.
• Lee Health (Fort Myers, Fla.): free Lee TeleHealth visits through the corresponding mobile app or website through Sept. 7 with code DORIAN.
• Memorial Healthcare System (Hollywood, Fla.): free online telehealth visits with MemorialDOCNow physicians regarding non-emergency minor medical needs and psychological consultations, via app or computer, through Sept. 14, with code DORIAN.
• MUSC Health (Charleston, S.C.): free virtual care visits for all South Carolina residents to diagnose approximately 80 conditions before, during and after the storm, using promo code MUSCDORIAN.
• Roper St. Francis Healthcare (Charleston, S.C.): free on-demand video visits through their website or RSF Virtual Care app, using code DORIAN, until Hurricane Dorian has passed.”

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– Linda Childers (Oncology Nurse News)

“Getting a cancer diagnosis is a life changing experience for all patients, but for those who live in rural areas, receiving appropriate care and treatment can pose additional challenges.”

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– BBP Wires (Broadband Communications Magazine)

“WASHINGTON — Taking further steps to close the digital divide, the Federal Communications Commission authorized over $4.9 billion in support over the next decade for maintaining, improving, and expanding affordable rural broadband for 455,334 homes and businesses served by 171 carriers in 39 states and American Samoa, including 44,243 locations on Tribal lands.”

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– Sara Weissman (Diverse Education)

“The college lifestyle – famous for hectic schedules, late-night study sessions and 2 a.m. pizza – has never gone hand-in-hand with good health. But today’s college students are the least likely generation to go to a primary care doctor. Only 55 percent of Generation Z have a primary care physician, compared to two thirds of millennials and 76 percent of Generation X, according to a 2019 Digital Health Consumer Survey. Meanwhile, a report last year found that 1.7 million college students remain uninsured.”

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