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Telemedicine is a practice that could potentially change the lives of millions of people. Telemedicine involves doing the services of doctors at a distance using the benefits of modern information technology. Doctors can diagnose patients today without ever interacting with them personally, especially because some types of diagnoses just require a visual inspection. However, telemedicine services are not currently covered under the majority of private health insurance plans. The new Senate Bill 1363 may be able to change all of that.

Thanks to the Senate Bill 1363, patients will be able to get telemedicine services covered through their private health insurance. The restrictions will no longer be in place, and telemedicine can become part of the normal way in which patients receive medical care. The bill has already managed to pass in the Senate, and now is being evaluated by the House of Representatives.

Many patients are having a difficult time getting the medical care that they need just because it is difficult for them to get to the doctor’s office for whatever reason. They might be suffering from physical or psychological disabilities, thus making the simple act of getting into a car and getting to the doctor challenging for them. They might also not even have access to a car or private transportation in the first place, which is going to stop them from being able to get to a doctor’s office even if they have no other physical or psychological barriers to cross. Some people go without the medical care that they need for years due to the fact that that telemedicine has not been an option for them.

Telemedicine may save the lives of a lot of people who would have gone without medical treatment otherwise. It might also manage to create job opportunities and encourage additional developments in information technology. There are doctors who have reservations about telemedicine for whatever reason. However, there are many other doctors who are in favor of this technological and cultural change.

Telemedicine device HealthGO is perhaps one of the best tools available today for tracking the health of patients remotely. That is one of the reasons why the HealthGO Mini won a Tadi Award for its design. Manufacturer eDevice also received acknowledgement of its innovative technology and product design investments that help the company’s services to stand out from the rest.

What Can HealthGO Do?

HealthGO is a healthcare care device that is added to an individual’s home. It allows the medical center or doctors to receive information about the patient’s vital signs including oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and even weight. This is done through transmission of this information through the eDevice mobile network, what has been designed to be highly secure. How does it work? HealthGO Mini is able to communicate with Bluetooth or through USB connection from medical sensors. The technology allows for customization such as being able to use it alongside a tablet. This gives the user a simple to use by highly powerful user interface for medical applications including disease management questions.

When discussing the award and the company’s services, the CEO of eDevice, Stephane Schinazi said that the company worked with an award winning designer named Didier Garrigos. They focused first on the product’s design to ensure it was highly effective and met regulatory requirements. The product’s design allows it to be easy to use but also ergonomic. It’s compact and unobtrusive, which means many people, including those who are chronically ill or elderly can still use this form of telemedicine within their home. It blends in with the lifestyle of the user, too, making it a seamless part of their home.

The company is working to further develop new products and, with its collaboration with Garrigos, it is developing everything from the medical platform HealthGO to the WireX network converter. These products are being used in some 150 countries and have reached some 200,000 active products. The company’s ability to develop telemedicine devices has allowed it to reach triple digit growth, according to eDevice. This will continue to spur further development, more hiring, and more advanced technologies in the future.

Telemedicine has become more and more popular in recent times because of its unrivaled convenience. Combined with the booming number of mobile users throughout the United States, it was no more than a matter of time until someone clever combined the two.

In short, St. Luke’s University Health Network launched what it calls the St. Luke’s Anywhere app in January of 2016. Like its name suggests, the app lets users see and be seen by a medical professional in the network whenever and wherever they need it in much the same manner as Skype and similar apps. This way, said individuals can get the healthcare that they need without actually heading into the physical offices, which is particularly convenient if they either have problems making such journeys or cannot spare the time from their busy schedules.

Of course, the use of the app will not be free since each use will come with a $49 fee that can be paid by credit card. Furthermore, it is important to note that the use of the app will be limited to either adults who are 18 or older or children between 12 and 18 who are accompanied by their guardians. Interested individuals can find it on either Google Play, the iTunes App Store, or even the St. Luke’s University Health Network for use on either their Android devices, Apple devices, or even computers. Using it is as simple as installing the app, creating an account, and then signing it when in need.

Summed up, St. Luke’s Anywhere app is an excellent example of how better telecommunication is changing the way that we access healthcare. Although it cannot compare to heading into the physical offices of medical professionals when it comes to more dangerous medical conditions, it is nonetheless useful for treating more common complaints including but not limited to flu, fever, coughing, earaches, headaches, and abdominal pains. As a result, it is not only beneficial for its users but also for the St. Luke University Health Network by enabling more efficient provision of healthcare.

Holistic Plan Coverage Offered By Priority Health and Blue Cross

Now that Telemedicine has become so popular over the past couple of years, particularly among millennials, both Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Priority Health are rolling out their holistic plans covering medical massage and acupuncture for 2016. This will give patients the option of either in-person physical office visit or the new online Telemedicine option. And, these two companies are actually two of the largest health care insurers in the state of Michigan. Blue Care Network, which is Blue Cross’ HMO subsidiary, offers consumers in every one of the 83 counties in Michigan 44 separate health plans.

This new option is included in the standard HMO offered by Blue Cross. In addition, it is included in Priority Health’s new plan called My Priority Holistic. This plan is currently available as an add-on. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, almost 12 percent of U.S. kids and 38 percent of grown-ups regularly use some type of holistic medicine.

Almost 70 percent of insurance plan enrollees in Michigan will be able to find plans available at a monthly cost of $75 or lower for the premiums after deducting tax credits. In addition, better than 90 percent of consumers who are returning Michigan HealthCare.gov customers have the option of saving an annual $895 in premiums on average.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, better than 90,000 consumers who live in Michigan have utilized the Health Insurance Marketplace for signing up for their coverage to date. Anyone who does not get signed up for coverage could be risking a $695 penalty plus whatever their out-of-pocket expenses are for any treatment they receive. If that isn’t enough reason to get signed up, the new Telemedicine coverage most certainly should be since it can allow patients to get treatment without going into the doctor’s office.

The American Medical Association is looking to ban prescription drug companies from marketing directly to consumers. Health care professionals are stating that patients are asking for medication they do not need. This is also leading to the rising costs of prescription medication. The AMA is looking to ban ads for prescription medication including Viagra, Cialis, and similar products. A person can see these advertisements when they turn on the television set or look in a magazine.

Delegates from this organization voted to make it a policy to ban this advertisement. The AMA is hoping that if the ban goes through, the costs of prescription medications will drop. They blame the increase in the costs of these medications on the high cost of advertising. The AMA feels that if advertising is banned than the costs of these medications will decrease.

Dr. Patrice Harris from the AMA the vote on this advertising ban reflects the concern among doctors of the rising cost of prescription medications. According to research, drugmakers have spent over 4.5 billion dollars on advertising in the past two years. This is a five percent increase from the previous years. This figure keeps on going up every year.

Patient care is compromised since there are a number of coverage limitations due to health care plans. These plans are unwilling to pay the high costs for the medications. Many people cannot afford the copay or the out of pocket expenses that are associated with these prescriptions.

The pharmaceutical company does not agree with the AMA. They say that the direct to customer ads allows the customers to have access to more information so they can make better informed decisions about their health care and treatment options. These ads are also encouraging patients to seek the care of a doctor to have important conversations about their health. The companies have stated that people would not have spoken to their doctor if they have not known about these medications.

The AMA will continue to look at this information to determine how they are going to continue rallying for this advertisement ban. They will decide on the most effective way to move forward from this point.

Viagra, or sildenafil, is a form of medication that is used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. However, this drug may have lasting positive effects on children who may be suffering from a heart defect, specifically congenital heart defects.

Viagra and Congenital Heart Defects
Sildenafil works by improving blood flow to the body’s extremities. However, it can also increase blood flow to the lungs and other organs. First tested to see if sildenafil can help lower blood pressure, the drug is heralded as a potential life saver for those who are suffering from congenital deformities.

A study lead by Dr. David Goldberg, a pediatric cardiologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, assigned children and young adults to receive sildenafil or a placebo over the span of 6 weeks. The study has shown that there is a correlation between viagra and an improvement in myocardial performance index, or how efficient the heart’s overall ability to pump blood.

The study has been done, especially after it was noted that many adults have showed promising results for adults with heart failure. Published on the Journal Pediatric Cardiology, it was found the Viagra improved the heart function in children who survived heart disease palliation. The study was done on young adults and children were relatively healthy, with very little chance of sildenafil interacting with other forms of medication, or worsening the patient’s heart condition.

The effects of sildenafil can be used as a comprehensive approach to help children who are dealing with congenital heart disease. With the right approach, a child living with these sort of ailments can lead a health, happy life.

Even thought it may add somewhat awkward to prescribe Viagra to children, many doctors are getting on board with the treatment. Parents can ask that their prescription be mailed to them, adding a layer of privacy. Parents do not have to pick up the prescription at their local drugstore

Sepsis is one of the most preventable causes of death among medical facilities today, and the Illinois health system is now doing something about it.

Telemedicine and Training Program takes on Sepsis

Using a $750,000 AHRQ grant to develop a three year telemedicine program led by the JumpTrading Simulation & Education Center and assisted by Northwestern University, the plan is to reduce the occurrence of sepsis among rural hospitals with the use of technologically advanced training mannequins and confer with specialists via the telemedicine platform.

Improvements in Rural Medical Care Expected

This project is expected to make great medical advances in rural medical facilities, as telemedicine technology will allow rural clinicians and medical staff to conduct video conferences for the purpose of collaboration and the treating of patients. This training will benefit rural areas, making further improvements outside the treatment of sepsis by positively affecting other medical emergency statistics for acute heart conditions, trauma and pediatric critical care.

Sepsis requires a quick diagnosis for proper treatment, costing the U.S. approximately $54 million each year. This speedy diagnosis is needed to prevent septic shock, which can be fatal. Using technology for diagnosis and treatment of sepsis is not a new concept, as Mercy Virtual Care Center addressed this same issue earlier in 2015 with a telesepsis program that significantly reduced both costs and fatalities associated with this medical condition.

Telemedicine: Making a Difference

Other technological learning models have been introduced by mobile application and video game designers to assist medical professionals in the speedy diagnosis and treatment of sepsis, but one problem still remains. While these programs have clear and simple goals that seem plausible, introducing new technologies such as telehealth to rural health care facilities and personnel can be quite a difficult task due to many different factors such as clinician expertise and patient volume.

To make a difference in the way sepsis is handled within rural health facilities, medical staff members, clinicians and other health professionals must be open to change and willing to adjust workflow to incorporate telemedicine for the benefit of their patients.

The amount that consumers spend on healthcare in the United States typically fluctuates from year to year, but healthcare spending grew in 2014 at its fastest rate since 2007. Americans averaged $9,523 in spending, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Much of this increase is from the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the increase in Medicaid patients as a result.

When the Affordable Care Act increased coverage of insurance to people who had never had insurance before, it also increased the number of patients who could be serviced by government-run programs like Medicaid. In 2014 alone, 7.7 million people signed up for Medicaid, representing a boost in spending by the program of 11 percent. In some states low income patients represent a majority; homebound patients and those without the ability to travel long distances to see a physician are being cared for through the assistance of telemedicine, where the doctor can diagnose and treat a variety of patients who before just wouldn’t have been seen.

The CMS has been tracking consumer spending on healthcare in the United States for more than fifty years. It also tracks total spending as a percentage of the gross domestic product. While spending usually rises over time, the healthcare spending of 2014 surpassed growth of the economy by 1.2 percentage points, representing 17.5 percent of the United States’ GDP.

One of the main contributors to the higher healthcare spending is an increase in the cost of prescription drugs. CMS has noticed a more than 12 percent jump in spending on prescription medications, including some specialty Cancer and Hepatitis C drugs like Harvoni and Sovaldi that have been priced as high as $1,000/pill. Drug companies claim that most patients pay far less than this amount through their insurance, but even so, spending on prescriptions through doctor’s visits and telemedicine rose nearly ten percent higher in 2014 than the year prior, from 2.4 percent to 12.2 percent.

In order for insurance companies to make money, they rely on the premiums that healthy people pay to cover the medical bills for the sick people. If an insurance company sets premiums that are too low, or if they insure more sick people than healthy people, they can suffer great losses. Insurers who are new in the market may not be familiar with these risks.

Currently, United Health has been slower than many of its rivals when it comes to selling policies on the Obamacare market. The news about United Health may indicate that other insurers are struggling as well. United Health is one of the largest insurers, and has years of experience and an excellent reputation. Since they are considered one of the most sophisticated health plans around and they are struggling, it is difficult to believe that other insurers are not struggling as well.

New Enrollment

The Obama Administration recently made a statement that more people are signing up for the Affordable Care Act this year than last. Since enrollment began on November 1st, about 1.1 million people signed up, and that was just in the first week. In 2014, less people than that signed up from the beginning of enrollment all the way through Thanksgiving week.

Currently, there are more people signing up for health insurance and more insurers are entering the Marketplaces. These statistics cannot prove the Marketplace’s viability and strength.

According to United Health, they are going to be suspending the marketing of their individual exchange plans. Also, they are going to be eliminating or cutting the commissions for brokers who are selling the coverage in a variety of markets.

550,000 in Obamacare

Around 9.9 million people currently have health insurance through state and U.S. Run insurance markets as of June 30th. Of those people, United Health covers less than 550,000 on the Obamacare exchanges.

On Thursday, United Health made a statement saying that the company is currently evaluating the viability of the insurance exchange product segment. They stated that they will need to begin determining during the first half of 2016 if it can serve public exchange markets through 2017. United Health’s Chief Financial Officer, David Wichmann told analysts during a conference call on October 15th, that he believes that there will be a better performance on the insurance exchange starting next year.

United Health is not the only insurer that is struggling. Other insurance companies are struggling to make a profit from government run marketplaces that were created by Obamacare. Due to charging too little to cover the cost of their patients’ medical care, several non-profit co-op plans have failed. Another reason is that the Obama administration had a fund to stabilize the market, and paid out only 12.6 percent of what the insurance companies requested. Many of these companies are also offering very low premiums so they can compete with their rivals, and now cannot turn a profit.

Patience

Other major insurers, Anthem and Aetna, has stated that they will be patient while the exchange business has a chance to develop. Eventually, they expect to turn a profit. Currently, Aetna has 1.1 million individual members, while Anthem has 824,000.

According to Mark Bertolini, Aetna’s CEO, it is too early to call it quits on the ACA land other exchanges. He believes there is still a big opportunity for the company. He added that things are still challenging, and they reduced the states where they offer coverage from 17 to 15.

Anthem issued a statement in late October, saying that they don’t expect the individual exchange business to improve until 2017 or 2018.

According to United Health, earning per share will likely be $6.00 this year, which is down from $6.25 to $6.35. Next year, they expect that earnings per share to be between $7.10 and $7.30. They plan an investor day on December 1st.

Political support for the expansion of Medicaid in Georgia is on support and its prognosis might be terminal. However, this does not mean that there is no pathway forward for the individuals seeking healthcare solutions. It is the same pathway that managed to solve most of our problems: innovation.

Every proposal of Medicaid expansion has mostly been a reaction to all the failures of the federal policy in attempting to take care of the “coverage gap.”

Nonetheless, the gap is a mere symptom of the original disease. Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act did very little to make health care affordable. Actually, it worsened the conditions that escalated health costs – government intervention and regulation.

ObamaCare put more patients right into the system without any corresponding increase in medical practitioners while additionally forcing insurance plans to swathe more services. Consequently, this made them more like full-service warranties and less like insurance.

We do not expect car insurance to take care of oil changes or homeowners insurance to cover for lawn service – why expect health insurance to pay for regular doctor visits?

Skyrocketing costs have currently turned most Americans into medical refugees. Patients travel to foreign countries in order to obtain 50%-80% discounts on procedures in the less regulated markets.

Rather than transforming Georgians into medical refugees, the state ought to innovate and provide deregulated choices. This will go miles in attracting medical tourists to Georgia.

Addressing the primary cause (s) of unaffordable care through adopting market-based, patient-centered reforms as well as discovering to drastically reducing the burdens of regulation in the healthcare market is much better than policy-makers negotiating on how to pay for the federally micromanages insurance plans.

Begin by bringing down the barriers to entry for healthcare professionals together with all the burdens of limits and licensure on the scope of practice.

Reducing charity care, medical cost-sharing, out-of-state practitioners, direct-pay models, and barriers on telemedicine & concierge is very much possible. Explore options for clients for service agreements that include particular tort reforms as well as damage caps.

Moreover, deregulate insurance plans for individuals that are exempt from ObamaCare. Deregulation should be allowed to facilitate innovation and decentralization.

Information technology has witnessed a rapid escalation in innovation and quality with a huge decline in host. Meanwhile, the much regulated healthcare industry has experienced totally opposite.