telehealth Archives - Word on Benefits

The End of the COVID-19 Emergencies Arrives Early

Amanda Wilke

12 Apr 202318 Apr 2023

This blog has been updated with new information from the previous version published on April 12, 2023. President Biden signed H.R. Res. 7 on Monday, April 10, 2023, to end the national emergency (NE) for COVID-19, effective immediately. Although the NE ended […]

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It’s Coming—The End of the COVID-19 Emergencies

Amanda Wilke

21 Mar 202321 Mar 2023

After nearly three years, the time has finally come. The Biden administration announced that both the COVID-19 national emergency (NE) and the public health emergency (PHE) will end on May 11, 2023. Now it’s time for employers to prepare to unwind the […]

Communication Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care HIPAA Insurance U.S.

HIPAA Guidance on Postpandemic Audio-Only Telehealth

Amanda Wilke

19 Jul 202219 Jul 2022

On June 13, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements as they relate to audio-only telehealth. Telehealth technology is typically thought of as […]

Communication Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance U.S.

Telehealth: Lessons From the Pandemic

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

13 Jan 202213 Jan 2022

With the Omicron variant causing a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, access to telehealth visits is likely a benefit that many plan members are continuing to value and use. Nearly two years into a sort of forced experiment with telehealth, […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

Changes in Health Care Claims Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Justin Held, CEBS

10 Jun 202109 Jun 2021

Over the past year, the International Foundation has surveyed U.S. organizations on three separate occasions to examine the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the most recent edition, respondents were asked about changes in the number of health care claims over this […]

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Legal and Practical Considerations for Virtual Health Care in Canada

Alyssa Hodder

19 May 202118 May 2021

There’s no question that the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual health care in Canada, but we’re now learning that it’s not just a transitional measure. A panel at our recent virtual conference, Today’s Legal and Legislative Landscape Across Canada, explored […]

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How to Support Workforce Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

03 Mar 202102 Mar 2021

Isolation and loneliness. Fear that you or a loved one will be infected with a deadly virus. Anxiety about finances. Stress over child care and school arrangements. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most people in the United States have experienced at least one—if […]

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21 Ways Employers Are Combating Escalating Health Care Costs in 2021

Justin Held, CEBS

27 Jan 202126 Jan 2021

Over the next ten years, health care spending in the United States is projected to increase at an annual rate of 5.4%. In response to the cost escalation, plan sponsors in corporate, multiemployer and public employer environments are looking for ways to […]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

Responding to the COVID-19 Environment: Nine Actions for Health Plan Sponsors

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

05 Nov 202003 Nov 2020

The changes to the health care system brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are creating a new set of risks and opportunities for health care purchasers and plan sponsors, some of which are not yet fully known. In their article “Charting a […]

Canada Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits Health Care

Latest COVID-19 Survey Shows Heightened Interest in Virtual Care

Alyssa Hodder

23 Jul 202022 Jul 2020

With the pandemic limiting Canadians’ ability to access much-needed healthcare services, many organizations are looking for alternatives. The Impact of COVID-19 on Pensions and Benefits in Canada survey, conducted in June by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, finds increased uptake […]