Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • ESG: THE IMPLEMENTATION IMPERATIVE
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Digital Health
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Transformation
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Unwell in America
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top 25 Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • Data Center
    • Data Center Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Newsletters
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Patient Care
December 05, 2015 12:00 AM

Major-player health systems want to broaden telehealth's bandwidth

Beth Kutscher
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print

    Community Health Systems' wide-reaching push into telemedicine signals growing demand for remote technology that delivers lower costs and convenient access to care.

    The Franklin, Tenn.-based chain, which runs more hospitals than any other U.S. healthcare company, has a non-urban focus and previously used telemedicine to provide specialty services to its patients. But a new partnership with American Well, called VirtualHealth Now, will allow patients to access urgent-care services 24/7 in at least four states.

    A growing number of health systems are beginning to use the technology not only to link rural hospitals with tertiary-care facilities, but also to provide ongoing chronic disease management. Still, telehealth's adoption remains complicated by regulatory, financial and administrative barriers. Although many states, including Minnesota and New York, have introduced or passed legislation in the past year to increase insurance coverage for telemedicine visits, others—notably Texas—are moving in the opposite direction. A new Texas rule requires patients to have an in-person provider visit before they can use telemedicine technologies.

    But those barriers may fall away as large players adopt telehealth services.

    “What we've seen in the last two to three years is that providers of all types are thinking, 'How do we do more with less?' ” said Danielle Russella, president of customer solutions at American Well. The Boston-based company provides the mobile and Web platforms for telehealth programs launched by Community and several other major health systems, including the Cleveland Clinic and Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare. “For us, it's been kind of explosive,” she said.

    AllianceHealth Oklahoma and Rockwood Health System in Spokane, Wash., are Community's first network hospitals to introduce telehealth services. In those markets, patients will be able to see a doctor through their smartphone, computer or tablet, and the technology can link directly to their electronic health records. Community also plans to add telehealth services in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

    The market for telemedicine is projected to grow at a rate of more than 50% a year—ballooning from $240 million in 2013 to $1.9 billion by 2018, according to IHS, a data and analytics firm.

    Health systems are becoming increasingly interested in telehealth services as they enter more capitated payment contracts and start to act more like health insurers, said Bryan Cote, managing director at Berkeley Research Group.

    MH Takeaways

    As large healthcare providers expand their use of telemedicine, industry momentum may build to break down the regulatory and financial barriers slowing its adoption.

    “This is an important component to our primary-care strategy,” said Dr. Lynn Simon, Community's chief quality officer. “Consumers want access and they want it to be convenient.”

    Community already uses telehealth in specialties such as neurology, intensive care and home health, Simon said. But its latest partnership will provide more access points for both current and new patients. Ultimately, the system will offer similar services for behavioral health and chronic disease management, and the platform may also be used to monitor newly discharged patients as a way to prevent readmissions.

    The system also plans to offer telehealth services as part of its partnerships with employers. It is working to set up telehealth kiosks at worksites, particularly in locations where workers don't have traditional office-based jobs, Russella said.

    Consumers will pay a $39 fee for the service, but Community hopes that its relationships with employers and health plans will encourage service charges to be offset for some users.

    “A big part of this is, how are the payments made and is there parity with in-person visits,” said Mike Simmons, CEO of CredSimple, which offers credentialing software for providers. About half of CredSimple's clients are telehealth companies. “That payment parity is hugely important,” he said.

    Some telemedicine firms are seeking certification from credentialing bodies such as the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a way to gain a competitive advantage. “That's one of the bottlenecks—how do you get the provider to be accepted by the insurance provider?” Simmons said.

    In response to the litany of requests they're receiving from providers that want to offer telehealth services, commercial health insurers are starting to set up task forces, Cote said.

    An October survey from Anthem and the American Academy of Family Physicians found that about 15% of primary-care doctors had used some form of telemedicine technology over the past year, but close to 90% said they would be more interested if they got paid for it.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Empty hospital beds
    Health systems struggle to fill beds amid care delivery shifts
    Atrium-Best Buy partnership
    Best Buy Health leans into at-home care through large provider deals
    Most Popular
    1
    More healthcare organizations at risk of credit default, Moody's says
    2
    Centene fills out senior executive team with new president, COO
    3
    SCAN, CareOregon plan to merge into the HealthRight Group
    4
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan unveils big push that lets physicians take on risk, reap rewards
    5
    Bright Health weighs reverse stock split as delisting looms
    Sponsored Content
    Modern Healthcare A.M. Newsletter: Sign up to receive a comprehensive weekday morning newsletter designed for busy healthcare executives who need the latest and most important healthcare news and analysis.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Digital Health
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Unwell in America
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top 25 Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Newsletters
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing