In yet another move into the healthcare space, Amazon Web Service (AWS) has added to its collection of HIPAA-eligible services, which now includes machine learning tools Amazon Translate, Amazon Comprehend and Amazon Transcribe.
CMS finalizes rule for remote patient monitoring reimbursement under Medicare
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has locked in a rule that will allow home health agencies to report the cost of remote patient monitoring for reimbursement under Medicare. According to the announcement, released yesterday, this rule will be implemented in 2020.
Medici acquires fellow medical communication company DocbookMD
Yesterday morning medical messaging company Medici announced that it would be acquiring fellow health communication platform DocbookMD for an undisclosed sum. As part of the deal Medici will now take control or DocbookMD’s technical assets, employees and customer contracts.
ResMed acquires EHR company MatrixCare
This morning ResMed, maker of connected respiratory devices, announced that it is set to acquire MatrixCare, a Minnesota-based EHR company, for $750 million.
MatrixCare’s EHR is targeted towards long-term post acute care services, such as skilled nursing facilities, life plan communities and senior living homes.
The deal is expected to help ResMed expand its software-as-a-service offerings, specifically in the long-term care setting.
The deal is set to close by the end of the company’s second fiscal quarter in 2019. After the acquisition, MatrixCare is expected to remain a standalone business inside of ResMed’s portfolio.
JEDMED Receives FDA Approval On OMNISteth™, The First Digital Stethoscope Designed Specifically for Telemedicine Applications
The OMNISteth™ is the first stethoscope designed specifically for telemedicine. Various methods of connection to your video conferencing platform and intuitive adjustments maximize the sound quality and performance during an exam.
Defendants named in $1B telemedicine fraud that allegedly mislead patient, doctors
Last Friday seven companies and four men were charged with involvement in a $1 billion telemedicine fraud scheme, where they allegedly filed false claims for payment and mislead doctors and patients in order to defraud private health benefit programs, according to the Department of Justice.
FCC Seek Comments on Launching Telehealth Pilot Program
The Federal Communications Commission today took steps to explore the creation of an experimental “Connected Care Pilot Program” to support the delivery of advanced telehealth services to low-income Americans.
How a rushed California law will change the privacy and security landscape for mobile health apps
California passed the most comprehensive privacy law in the U.S. on June 28, 2018, with a compliance date of January 1, 2020. For mobile health app developers, that date may seem far away, but the California law will require significant and challenging operational changes. It is unclear whether the law will apply to protected health information of mobile health app developers who are business associates under HIPAA. But for more consumer-focused apps that fall outside of HIPAA, the California law will certainly require significant changes, ranging from updating privacy policies to implementing a consumer right of erasure. The law will affect most businesses that do business in California and have information about California residents, even if the business is located outside of California.
Mental health apps overdiagnose, steer toward self-help
While the use of mental health apps has been on the rise, researchers of a recent analysis published by the Annals of Family Medicine, which is broadly critical of these platforms, worry that these apps could lead to unnecessary diagnoses and misinformation about mental illness.
Senator and FCC commissioner propose telehealth pilot
Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr have teamed up to propose a new telemedicine initiative that aims to support people at home and prevent hospital readmission, specifically among low-income individuals. The pair are seeking $100 million for the new initiative, called the “Connected Care Pilot Program.”