What are the opportunities and challenges of digital health wellness programs? In a recent discussion, McDermott Partners Scott A. Weinstein and Sarah G. Raaii discussed a wide range of issues, including accessibility to employees, navigating the health plan regulatory landscape, budgetary constraints and the reality of rising healthcare costs.
Digital health is one of the fast-growing segments of the healthcare market, with patients, clinicians and regulators increasingly aligned behind digitization opportunities. Over the last three years, patients and clinicians alike have embraced digitally delivered care and telehealth-related flexibilities.
In this report, McDermott’s Digital Health team takes a close look at the forces shaping the sector in 2023, including:
The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in significant changes to the healthcare industry, specifically the transition from a fee-for-service model to a value-based care model, and digital health has proved to be a driver of value-based care models. In this Westlaw Today article, McDermott Partners Marshall E. Jackson, Jr. and Jeremy Earl suggest that increased use of telehealth during the pandemic may lead to an increase in the adoption of value-based care models that reward providers for efficiency and effectiveness.
The continuation of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and consumer demand for digitally delivered healthcare not only necessitated the shift from in-person to virtual care, but also continued to drive interest, adoption, investment and transactions in digital health in 2021. Digital health funding in 2021 far surpassed 2020’s totals, with no signs of slowing down in 2022, and the potential permanence of some regulatory flexibilities beyond the PHE are charting a course for continued digital health growth in 2022 and beyond.
The US healthcare system is entering the third year of a public health emergency due to COVID-19, and the challenges and enduring pressures of the pandemic will require US Congress and the Biden administration to consider new response strategies. But other health policy priorities also will garner attention. As we start a new year and new congressional session, McDermott+Consulting examines the health policy priorities and key initiatives likely to dominate the agenda in 2022.
The uncertainty around the termination of state public health emergencies is leading to the growth of healthcare companies with physical and virtual presences. In this recent Reuters video, McDermott Partner Lisa Mazur explained how these providers are more valuable from a valuation perspective.
“And part of that is because they’re able to enroll in Medicaid and get services covered, and they’re more likely to become a participating provider with a commercial plan,” Mazur noted.
In hopes that the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will soon end, Congress and the administration are evaluating the telehealth expansions and flexibilities put in place to respond to the PHE. As a result, the future for telehealth stakeholders remains uncertain. This article outlines various changes in Medicare telehealth reimbursement policy in effect during the PHE and identifies what actions would be required to make these changes permanent.
Although digital health solutions have long been a key area of strategic growth for the healthcare industry, the COVID-19 crisis accelerated what it means to deliver safe and effective digitally-based care. As the United States shifts focus from short-term crisis response to longer-term solutions, what does a digitally-driven healthcare industry look like, and how can healthcare entities maintain the highest standards of care and meet patient expectations while constructively disrupting out-of-date practice patterns? During a recent virtual conversation, McDermott Partners Michael W. Ryan and Jennifer S. Geetter addressed these questions and more.
Telemedicine in the United States is facing an important crossroads. While telehealth services have demonstrated their value as an integral part of care delivery, federal and state waivers instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to expire soon. As lawmakers and agency officials consider updated or expanded digital health rules, regulators are expected to intensify their scrutiny of providers.
In this webinar, McDermott partners Jiayan Chen and Brian J. Boyle explore consumer protections for telehealth consumers, including the following:
COVID-19 served as a major pivot event for the adoption of virtual healthcare solutions. As stay-at-home orders swept the country and the pandemic forced physical isolation, telehealth tools were rapidly rolled out to safely provide necessary services. The reality on the ground forced overnight adoption of virtual care services that otherwise likely would have plodded along for decades.
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