23andMe to Buy Telehealth Firm Lemonaid for $400M

2023 insurance M&As lowest in a decade

Direct-to-consumer DNA testing firm 23andMe Holding Co said on Friday it would buy privately held company Lemonaid Health Inc for $400 million in a cash-and-stock deal, as it looks to expand into telemedicine. Lemonaid Health offers patients direct online access for a number of common conditions, from consultation through treatment. It also offers free and… Continue reading 23andMe to Buy Telehealth Firm Lemonaid for $400M

Beazley Extends Telehealth Offering

Close up of a senior man consulting with a doctor on his laptop

Specialist insurer Beazley has extended its risk management offering for the telehealth sector with new tools designed to help navigate the complex digital health regulatory landscape. In partnership with law firm BakerHostetler, Beazley has created a multi-layered interactive digital map that provides detailed information on the state-by-state laws governing the provision of telehealth services across… Continue reading Beazley Extends Telehealth Offering

Telehealth Claim Lines Increase 2,938% Nationally: Nov 2019 to Nov 2020

Back view of young woman making video call with her doctor while staying at home. Close up of patient sitting on armchair video conferencing with general practitioner on digital tablet. Sick girl in online consultation with a mature physician.

Telehealth claim lines1 increased 2,938 percent nationally from November 2019 to November 2020, rising from 0.20 percent of medical claim lines in November 2019 to 6.01 percent in November 2020, according to new data from FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. From month to month, the telehealth share of medical claim lines rose 7.1 percent… Continue reading Telehealth Claim Lines Increase 2,938% Nationally: Nov 2019 to Nov 2020

NY Governor Cuomo Announces Proposal to Expand Access to Telehealth

Close up of a senior man consulting with a doctor on his laptop

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced legislation to expand and improve access to telehealth for all as part of the 2021 State of the State. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the inequities in our healthcare system and showed that telehealth is a critical tool to expand access and lower costs for low-income communities, especially for… Continue reading NY Governor Cuomo Announces Proposal to Expand Access to Telehealth

COVID Spurs Families to Shun Nursing Homes, Increasingly Choosing Home Care

Nursing Home

The pandemic is reshaping the way Americans care for their elderly, prompting family decisions to avoid nursing homes and keep loved ones in their own homes for rehabilitation and other care. Americans have long relied on institutions to care for the frailest seniors. The U.S. has the largest number of nursing-home residents in the world.… Continue reading COVID Spurs Families to Shun Nursing Homes, Increasingly Choosing Home Care

Employer Health Centers Seek Permanent Expansion of Virtual Care Added During Pandemic

Back view of young woman making video call with her doctor while staying at home. Close up of patient sitting on armchair video conferencing with general practitioner on digital tablet. Sick girl in online consultation with a mature physician.

The vast majority of employers with onsite or near-site health centers either added or increased virtual care services in place of in-person visits during the pandemic, according to a survey by Willis Towers Watson, a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company. Additionally, over half of centers that expanded their virtual care services plan to… Continue reading Employer Health Centers Seek Permanent Expansion of Virtual Care Added During Pandemic

Employees Flock to Virtual Health Care During Pandemic

Woman at home in quarantine talking with her doctor via online video call using a tablet computer - healthcare concepts

Employee use of virtual health care has surged during the pandemic, with most employees giving the level of care high marks, according to a new survey by leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, Willis Towers Watson. The survey of nearly 5,000 U.S. employees also found that nearly half of respondents have deferred medical care… Continue reading Employees Flock to Virtual Health Care During Pandemic

Employers Expand New Approaches for Health Care Delivery: WTW

Back view of young woman making video call with her doctor while staying at home. Close up of patient sitting on armchair video conferencing with general practitioner on digital tablet. Sick girl in online consultation with a mature physician.

U.S. employers are boosting their efforts to help employees navigate the nation’s complex health care delivery system. That’s according to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson, which found more employers plan to adopt centers of excellence (COEs), high-performance narrow networks and other alternative delivery models over the next three years. Additionally, employers expect that… Continue reading Employers Expand New Approaches for Health Care Delivery: WTW

Telehealth Expansion Eyed Beyond Pandemic

elderly senior woman, having a remote medical consultation with her doctor over internet computer telemedecine diagnostic

Telehealth is a bit of American ingenuity that seems to have paid off in the coronavirus pandemic. Medicare temporarily waived restrictions predating the smartphone era and now there’s a push to make telemedicine widely available in the future. Consultations via tablets, laptops and phones linked patients and doctors when society shut down in early spring.… Continue reading Telehealth Expansion Eyed Beyond Pandemic