Nine in 10 large employers will make telehealth services available next year to employees in states where it is allowed, up from 70% this year, and virtually all will offer telemedicine by 2020, according to the latest annual survey by the National Business Group on Health. The Large Employers’ 2017 Health Plan Design Survey is based on responses from 133 large U.S. employers offering coverage to more than 15 million Americans. Respondents expect health benefit cost increases to hold steady at 6% in 2017, with most considering specialty pharmacy the highest driver of health costs. In other telehealth news, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently clarified on its website that states are not required to submit a separate state plan amendment for Medicaid coverage or reimbursement of telemedicine services if they reimburse for telemedicine services the same way/amount that they pay for face-to-face services, visits or consultations.

Related News Articles

Headline
A Health-ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Center) bulletin released Oct. 1 warns of a recently released LockBit 5.0 ransomware variant that poses a…
Headline
A JAMA study published yesterday analyzed the health characteristics of individuals projected to lose Medicaid coverage due to work requirements included in…
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services announced Sept. 30 that it is doubling its funding for childhood cancer research from $50 million to $100 million…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Sept. 30 released guidance to states clarifying its interpretation of a provision that…
Headline
Fernando Martinez, Ph.D., chief digital officer at the Texas Hospital Association, shares how Texas and the THA are building regional resilience through cyber…
Headline
The federal government shut down Oct. 1 following a failed Senate vote on the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government by midnight Sept. 30.…