Arkansas extended telehealth support beyond the pandemic. Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) signed HB-1063 last week. “Arkansas modernized its healthcare system and made important strides to resolve health disparities,” said American Telemedicine Association CEO Ann Mond Johnson on Friday.

The COVID-19 telehealth program round two application filing window opens April 29 at noon EDT, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Thursday in docket 20-89. The filing window closes May 6 (see 2103300063). “Telehealth has been at the forefront of this effort, and I’m pleased to announce that additional support is just around the corner,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. “Today the FCC announced it will open the application process for the second half of COVID-19 telehealth program funding later this month. The FCC is dedicated to moving quickly to review and approve applications for this funding to support health care providers and patients across the country.”

Verizon unveiled BlueJeans Telehealth, a video telemedicine service to help healthcare providers and patients "conduct data-driven virtual care conversations." The service will be "generally available" in May, said the company Monday. Patients will be able to use a desktop, mobile browser or the new BlueJeans app, and visits will be "embedded directly within their existing electronic health record workflows," Verizon said. It includes medical interpreters in more than 200 languages. Closed captioning and sign language will be available. “We worked closely with an advisory board of health system clinicians and healthcare decision-makers to build BlueJeans Telehealth," said Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin: "Today’s launch is just the beginning for Verizon in what we see as the future of telehealth, especially when you consider the innovation that will come from 5G mobility, broadband and cloud capabilities.” Verizon entered a partnership last month with Hoy Health for customers to receive discounted telehealth services (see 2103080025).

Walmart and Amazon are expanding major connected health initiatives, with Walmart trying to bring more customers into stores through its COVID-19 vaccine program (2103170065) and Amazon expanding Amazon Care, a healthcare service with telehealth and in-person components. Amazon Care launched in Washington state 18 months ago for company employees and their families and made it available last week to other Washington-based companies. Amazon plans to launch the telehealth service across the U.S. this summer to give “millions” of Americans access to “high-quality medical care” and advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it said. Amazon will expand its virtual care to companies and Amazon employees in all 50 states this summer, while the in-person service expands to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, “and other cities” in coming months. Walmart is making COVID-19 vaccination records of vaccines given through its pharmacies available to customers digitally using the open, interoperable Smart Health Cards standard being developed under the Vaccination Credential Initiative.

FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated her proposal for the second round of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, said the commission Wednesday. The $250 million program would establish a system for rating applications, factoring in the hardest-hit and lowest-income areas, and ensure "equitable nationwide distribution of funding." The proposal sets an application deadline instead of a rolling approval system and awards funding in two phases. "If the past year has shown us anything, it’s that telehealth technology is here to stay and can be a solution to help address inequities in access to health care services," Rosenworcel said.

Slightly more than a third of older adult broadband households have a smart speaker or smart display, compared with 49% of all U.S. broadband homes, reported Parks Associates Tuesday, saying low prices and convenience of voice-first interfaces continue to spur “rapid adoption.” COVID-19 is contributing to new awareness, use and openness to connected technology among seniors and caregivers, said the researcher, as 26% of households 65 or older use at least one virtual health or wellness tool, and nearly 10% use a health tracker. Three-fourths of broadband households 65+ use a smartphone; 13% report owning at least one tested connected medical device. Older adults report higher usage of entertainment services, video calling services, pick-up and delivery services, and other service types, countering a “myth among service providers that seniors are not tech-adept,” said President Elizabeth Parks. About a quarter use virtual tools to manage their health and wellness, primarily patient portals that grant access to health and medical information from physicians. Some 10% use apps and services that track health, fitness, diet, weight or exercise routines.

Verizon Wireless customers can get discounted telehealth services through Hoy Health, the carrier announced Monday. A sign-up link appeared to have glitches, but a Verizon spokesperson on Monday said the site is "up and running."

Congress should make Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services permanent, said House Health Subcommittee Chair Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., during a hearing Tuesday. She cited the benefit of such waivers signed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during the pandemic. Expansion should continue but can’t replace all in-person visits, said ranking member Brett Guthrie, R-Ky. He noted broadband is a limiting factor, and he will work to address infrastructure limitations. Telehealth has been important for rural communities, said House Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. She's especially interested in telehealth advantages for mental health services, given the rise in anxiety and suicide during the pandemic. First consider a number of items, said Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone, D-N.J.: the value of telehealth care, ways to strengthen program integrity, and methods to ensure equitable access to telehealth. Utilization data can help ensure underserved populations have access, he said. Permanent repeal of rural and site exclusions would give certainty, testified American Medical Association board member Jack Resneck. Stanford Health Care Chief of Staff Megan Mahoney agreed, supporting anything that expands access to care and removes geographic barriers. Research is needed on effectiveness and outcomes, said Purchaser Business Group on Health CEO Elizabeth Mitchell: Telehealth isn't necessarily duplicative but supplementary to in-person care. Some telemedicine offerings are more cost-effective than others, and services should be expanded there, said Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School associate professor-health care policy.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act doesn’t apply to all health data collected by apps, reported Consumer Reports Tuesday. Its testers observed apps sharing unique IDs, specific to a smartphone, with companies including Facebook. Apps that provide guided meditations, mood-tracking diaries, therapy chatbots and cognitive behavioral therapy exercises sometimes ask users to complete data about mental health symptoms that might not be treated as confidential, it said. "You should be able to reach out for help without worrying about how that data might be shared or misused,” said Justin Brookman, CR director-privacy and technology policy.

The Department of Agriculture announced a $42.3 million investment in telehealth and remote learning grants to benefit 5 million rural residents, with $24 million provided through the Cares Act, a news release said Thursday. The University of Maine received the largest amount, $1 million to install "interactive video-teleconferencing equipment" at 42 locations and expand educational opportunities at remote rural centers and campuses. Other big recipients include West Virginia's Morgan County Board of Education, $999,999; Georgia's Morehouse School of Medicine, $997,194; Mississippi's Delta Regional Medical Center, $995,958; New Hampshire's Fall Mountain Regional School District, $995,158; and Vermont's North Country Hospital Health Center, $994,326.