A final rule issued by CMS on April 5 cemented policies to increase plan choices and benefits for enrollees in the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) programs, opening those beneficiaries to supplemental services like telehealth and streamlining the appeals process for those unsatisfied with their healthcare.

Virtual visits are touted as complementary services for fee-for-service providers, but accountable care organizations (ACOs) are leveraging telehealth to replace in-person visits—and the payoff might not be there.

Florida-based telehealth provider MDLive is now incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its virtual healthcare services with its new interactive chatbot named “Sophie,” according to a report by the Sun Sentinel.

A new proposed rule from CMS would expand Medicare Advantage and Part D telehealth benefits in 2020. The changes will likely make telehealth services more accessible to Medicare beneficiaries at home.

Retail giant Walmart has partnered with consumer health and hygiene company RB to launch a telehealth initiative with Doctor on Demand, a virtual care provider.

Telehealth monitoring of patients receiving tuberculosis treatments is more effective and cheaper than in-person monitoring, according to a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The American Hospital Association voiced its support for a $100 million telehealth pilot by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in written comments.

Telehealth models are just as effective as in-person visits with physicians when treating patients with psoriasis.