-
Recent rule changes made it easier for patients to get abortion pills through the mail, using telehealth services. Now there is growing demand for these services – and new legal battles brewing.
-
Among the other measures awaiting the governor's pen was a proposal that would broaden doctors’ ability to prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine.
-
Experts are concerned that flashy Silicon Valley technology won’t reach those most in need of treatment for substance use disorders.
-
The bill, approved by the Senate after changes by the House, would ease restrictions on doctors prescribing controlled substances through telehealth.
-
The bill in part would permit physicians to use telemedicine when issuing a renewal of certain drugs that are classified as controlled substances, including ketamine, anabolic steroids and codeine.
-
The measure approved by the House Health & Human Services Committee, would allow physicians to prescribe certain drugs, including anabolic steroids and barbiturates, during telehealth consultations.
-
A ban on using telemedicine to prescribe controlled medications was suspended in the pandemic. That's allowed many to seek opioid addiction treatment, but some worry about potential for abuse.
-
State rules were temporarily loosened in 2020 to help patients get care outside a doctor's office. But is telehealth by phone safe and effective? State legislatures and insurers must soon decide.
-
An NPR poll finds that while a large majority of people using telehealth during the pandemic were satisfied, nearly two-thirds prefer in-person visits. That may foretell telehealth's future.
-
New, often lower-cost plans capitalize on the convenience of telemedicine and patients’ growing familiarity with it. But consumers should weigh costs and care options before enrolling in a “virtual-first” plan.