Bonus Features – July 31, 2022 – House passes bill to extend telehealth flexibility to 2024, only 60% of practices hit their 2021 revenue goal, and more

Welcome to the weekly edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features. This article will be a weekly roundup of interesting stories, product announcements, new hires, partnerships, research studies, awards, sales, and more. Because there’s so much happening out there in healthcare IT we aren’t able to cover in our full articles, we still want to make sure you’re informed of all the latest news, announcements, and stories happening to help you better do your job.

News 

The U.S. House of Representatives passed by a 416-12 vote the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID–19 Act of 2021, which would extend the telehealth flexibilities put in place during the public health emergency until the end of 2024. Meanwhile, the American Telemedicine Association and its trade arm, ATA Action, have called on Congress to consider two other telehealth extensions: The High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HSA) telehealth tax provision, and the Ryan Haight Act in-person waiver for the remote prescription of controlled substances.

The latest report from MGMA indicated that cost concerns remain a challenge in healthcare, with only 60% of practices hitting their revenue goals in 2021. Practices appear to be suffering from a one-two punch of high inflation and low productivity, which remains below its pre-pandemic level for both physician- and hospital-owned practices. Primary care in particular seems to be suffering, as visit volumes have yet to return to their 2019 levels.

Studies

A survey of Surescripts users found an 8% increase in the use of electronic prescriptions for specialty medications in the first five months of 2022 compared to 2021. Surescripts also reported a 24% increase in the number of prescribers enrolled in May 2022 compared to May 2021.

A survey of healthcare leaders  by patient engagement vendor pCare and research firm WBR Insights indicated that demand for technology to improve the patient experience is on the rise, with 65% of organizations saying more patients want a tech-enabled care experience. While 95% of organizations said digital engagement tools improve the patient experience, 42% said there are “significant gaps” between what patients expect and what they can provide.

Partnerships

Products

People

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About the author

Brian Eastwood

Brian Eastwood is a Boston-based writer with more than 10 years of experience covering healthcare IT and healthcare delivery. Brian also writes about enterprise IT, consumer technology, corporate leadership, and higher education for a range of publications and clients. He got his start as a professional writer as a community newspaper reporter in 2003.

When he's not writing, Brian is most likely running, hiking, or cross-country skiing in Northern New England. When he needs a break from cardio, he's usually reading a history book.

   

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