Modernization

FCC’s Telehealth Plans Reach Beyond COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Provision  

The moment has spurred the agency to also finalize a longer-term pilot project for connected care.

Modernization

CMS Further Expands Telehealth Services for Medicare Recipients

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will temporarily expand telehealth options, including for new patients and audio-only appointments.

Modernization

Lawmaker Pushes CMS to Include Telehealth Services Through Telephone

Medicare recipients must use video-conferencing for remote visits with care providers.

Digital Government

Scammers Are Trying to Get Medicare Numbers, HHS Warns

The Health and Human Services Department warns that scammers are attempting to get real Medicare and Medicaid numbers to fraudulently bill the government. 

Emerging Tech

Trump Administration Wants to Know What COVID-19 Tech From China Should Be Exempt From Tariffs

The administration has already lifted tariffs on 200 medical-care products from China in response to the coronavirus outbreak but wants to know what more is needed.

Artificial Intelligence

CDC Launches COVID-19 Bot to Help You Decide If You Need to See a Doctor

The Coronavirus Self-Checker, a Microsoft-powered health care tool, was built to alleviate some of the initial screening strains health care providers are experiencing.

Ideas

Why Singapore's Coronavirus Response Worked—and What We Can All Learn

The first thing that helped with its response was it was ready before the outbreak even occurred.

Policy

Trump Relaxes Patient Data Rules to Allow Doctors to Use Personal Phones for Telehealth

The administration broadened telehealth coverage to all Medicare beneficiaries and eased HIPAA regulations for the duration of the pandemic emergency.

Emerging Tech

Military Scientists Hope To Have Coronavirus Therapeutic By Summer

A new approach would use RNA or DNA to help the body develop antibodies to the rapidly spreading illness.

Digital Government

Coronavirus Cases to Jump with Increase in Testing Capacity

Health officials said Monday that as testing shifts from public labs to commercial labs the number of coronavirus cases will increase. The insufficient testing capability has been a major criticism of the disease response.

Digital Government

Agencies Warn of Coronavirus-Related Scams  

The government is trying to curb scammers preying on the public’s fears.

Digital Government

NIH Uses Urgent Award Vehicle for the First Time to Address Coronavirus Outbreak

The agency is tapping a never-before-used emergency award vehicle to acquire predictive models for how the COVID-19 will spread. 

Digital Government

You Might Be Buying a Hand Sanitizer That Won’t Work for Coronavirus

Sanitizers that don’t contain the CDC’s recommended minimum of 60% alcohol are flying off store shelves and listed by sellers on Amazon for outrageous prices. Here is what you need to know.

Emerging Tech

Prosthetic Offers Real-Time Mind Control of Robotic Hand

One of the biggest hurdles in mind-controlled prosthetics is tapping into a strong and stable nerve signal to feed the bionic limb.

Cybersecurity

How Veterans Affairs CISO Approaches Risk, Recruiting Talent and Proving Cyber's Business Value

Paul Cunningham must ensure the security of the largest medical network in the country while making sure veterans can access services as seamlessly as possible.

Ideas

The Official Coronavirus Numbers Are Wrong, and Everyone Knows It

Because the U.S. data on coronavirus infections are so deeply flawed, the quantification of the outbreak obscures more than it illuminates.

Emerging Tech

A Military-Funded Biosensor Could Be the Future of Pandemic Detection

If it wins FDA approval next year, the two-part sensor could help spot new infections weeks before symptoms begin to show.

Ideas

Predicting the Coronavirus Outbreak: How AI Connects the Dots to Warn About Disease Threats

While the CDC and laboratories around the world race to find cures for the novel coronavirus, researchers are using AI to try to predict where the disease will go next.