#rural telehealth
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AN OPEN LETTER to THE U.S. CONGRESS
Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program NOW!
130 so far! Help us get to 250 signers!
I’m a concerned constituent writing to urge you to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program or ACP. Digital connectivity is a basic necessity in our modern world and the internet must be treated as a public utility. We use the internet to apply for jobs, perform our jobs, receive telehealth medical treatment, and pay bills, and students use it to complete homework assignments. But for millions of people in rural and urban areas, and Tribal communities, the internet is a luxury they cannot afford. Failure by Congress to fund this program will force millions of households already on tight budgets to choose between being able to stay online or potentially losing access to this essential service. If Congress doesn’t act fast, funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program will run out and more than 22 million Americans -- 1 in 6 households -- will lose this vital service. The implications of this will be devastating. In 2019, 18% of Native people living on Tribal land had no internet access; 33% relied on cell phone service for the internet; and 39% had spotty or no connection to the internet at home on their smart phone. The ACP has enrolled 320,000 households on Tribal lands -- important progress. The largest percentage gains in broadband access are in rural areas. Nearly half of military families are enrolled in ACP, as are one in four African American and Latino households. Losing access and training on using computers and the internet will have devastating impacts on all these communities as technology becomes increasingly integral to work, education, health, and our everyday lives. Without moves to address tech inequality, low-income communities and communities of color are heading towards an “unemployment abyss.” The Affordable Connectivity Program has broad bipartisan support because it is working. As your constituent, I am urging you to push for renewed funding for the ACP before it runs out in the coming weeks.
▶ Created on April 11 by Jess Craven
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#JESSCRAVEN101#PJXULY#resistbot#petition#Affordable Connectivity Program#Digital Divide#Internet Access#Broadband Access#ACP Funding#Congress Funding#Public Utility#Internet Equality#Telehealth#Telemedicine#Internet Inequality#Digital Inclusion#Internet For All#Rural Connectivity#Bipartisan Support#Internet Infrastructure#FCC#ACP Support#Digital Navigation#Online Education#Remote Work#Job Access#Telecommunications#Internet Service#Internet Affordability#Digital Equity
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Virtual Doctor Care: Bridging Gaps in Rural Healthcare
Virtual doctor care bridges gaps in rural healthcare by providing remote access to medical services. Residents in remote areas can connect with healthcare providers via telemedicine, receiving diagnoses, treatment plans, and prescriptions without needing to travel long distances. This improves healthcare access, reduces wait times, and addresses shortages of healthcare professionals in rural areas, ultimately enhancing health outcomes and patient satisfaction in underserved communities.
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The Crucial Importance of 100 Mbps Download and 20 Mbps Upload Speeds in Rural Areas
In the digital age, the need for high-speed internet has become increasingly important, and rural areas are no exception to this rule. Access to the internet is not just a convenience; it’s a necessity for various aspects of life, including education, healthcare, business, and overall quality of life. In this blog post, we’ll delve into why having internet speeds of at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload is crucial for rural communities.
Educational Advancements
Online Learning: The advent of online learning has transformed education, enabling students of all ages to access a wealth of educational resources from the comfort of their homes. A high-speed internet connection is a prerequisite for seamless participation in online classes and accessing educational materials. In rural areas, where traditional educational resources are often limited, these high-speed connections are a lifeline for students.
Interactive Learning: High-speed internet fosters interactive and engaging learning experiences. Students can join video conferences, participate in virtual labs, and collaborate with peers, all of which require robust upload and download speeds. A 100 Mbps download speed ensures that students can stream educational content without buffering, while a 20 Mbps upload speed supports their ability to actively participate in virtual classrooms.
Healthcare Access
Telehealth Services: In rural areas, access to healthcare services can be challenging due to geographical distances and limited healthcare facilities. Telehealth services bridge this gap by allowing individuals to consult with healthcare professionals remotely. A 100 Mbps download speed ensures clear, uninterrupted video consultations, while a 20 Mbps upload speed facilitates seamless communication with medical professionals.
Medical Data Transfer: Fast and reliable internet connections are essential for the transfer of medical records and data. Whether it’s sharing diagnostic images, patient history, or test results, a 20 Mbps upload speed ensures that healthcare providers can access and transmit critical information efficiently, leading to better patient care.
Economic Opportunities
Remote Work: The ability to work remotely has become a standard practice in many industries. High-speed internet empowers individuals in rural areas to take advantage of remote work opportunities, reducing the need to relocate to urban centers for employment. A 100 Mbps download speed guarantees that they can participate in virtual meetings and handle data-intensive tasks, while a 20 Mbps upload speed enables them to contribute effectively to their teams.
Business Growth: Rural businesses also benefit from fast internet speeds. A 100 Mbps download speed allows them to reach a wider customer base, access cloud services, and run e-commerce platforms efficiently. Moreover, a 20 Mbps upload speed supports seamless online communication and data sharing, helping rural businesses expand and thrive.
Quality of Life
Entertainment and Communication: Fast internet enhances the overall quality of life in rural areas. It allows residents to stream high-definition content, connect with loved ones through video calls, and enjoy the conveniences of smart home technologies, just like their urban counterparts.
In conclusion, high-speed internet with 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speeds is not merely a luxury but a necessity in rural areas. It’s the linchpin for educational advancement, improved healthcare access, economic opportunities, and an enhanced quality of life. As rural communities continue to thrive and evolve, these speeds are vital to ensure they are not left behind in our increasingly interconnected world.
Checkout more topics — https://isprevolution.io/blog/
#remote work#highspeedinternet#rural communities#education#telehealth#businessgrowth#quality of life#DigitalAdvancements
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Aw I hate having time and energy and wasting it neither getting work done or doing something fun, but instead doing a secret third thing: Sitting and vibrate in front of the computer for hours until It's too late to do either.
#text post#personal#Secret Person#That's how the cookie crumbles when new prescriptions don't help yet#and drs are scared to try a whole class of drgs because Joe Biden said telehealth is the cause of evil Harmassists Pharmacists#Him or someone in the administration saying that#and teasing restrictions on what drs who talk to patients in rural areas over a computer at the clinic can do#I've always envied Dr. Doofensmirtz ability to just get up and do something about whatever is bothering him
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Top 4 Nursing Technologies Used Today
Nursing technologies being used now days are on a different level then the last 10 years or so. The healthcare industry has been transformed by technology in recent years. With advances in areas such as telemedicine, wearable, and electronic health records (EHRs) is leading to significant improvements. These improvements can be seen in patient care, clinical workflows, and data management. Other than this technology also changed the common practices used for teaching nurses. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the top 4 nursing technology used today.
Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
An electronic health record is a standardized collection of patient and population health data that has been digitally saved. EHRs have become a standard in healthcare and nursing practice. This enables nurses to access and update patient data in real-time, improving care coordination, patient safety, and clinical decision-making. EHRs also facilitate the use of data analytics to identify trends and patterns in patient data, leading to more personalized and effective treatment plans.
Wearable Devices
Patients are increasingly using wearable technology, such smart watches and fitness trackers, and nurses are now using it to keep tabs on patients' vital signs and health. Wearable can assist nurses in seeing early warning indications of health issues, monitoring patients' progress, and giving patients real-time feedback on their dietary and exercise habits. In addition to enhancing patient outcomes and satisfaction, wearable technology can support patient engagement and self-management.
Telehealth
In nursing practice, telehealth centers has become a crucial tool, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic. Nurses may consult with patients remotely, keep track of their health, and give information and support to patients and their families thanks to telehealth. Patients who may be unable to travel or who reside in under-served areas now have more access to healthcare services because to telehealth. Telehealth has also contributed to lower medical expenses and better patient outcomes.
Simulation Technology
Nursing students may receive practical experience in a secure and regulated setting thanks to the growing use of simulation technology in nursing education. They can strengthen their clinical skills, decision-making abilities, and collaboration via the use of simulation technology, which can model a variety of clinical settings. Nursing teachers may evaluate students' clinical competence and offer comments for development thanks to simulation technologies.
Nursing technology is rapidly advancing, and it has the potential to transform the nursing profession in many ways. From EHRs and wearable to telehealth and simulation technology, the latest advances in nursing technology are helping nurses to provide more personalized, efficient, and effective care to patients. As technology continues to evolve, it will be important for nurses to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and adopt new technologies that can improve patient outcomes and drive nursing practice forward.
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Thank you for taking the time to draft this up. I hope people will take inspiration from these words; it perfectly encapsulates why telehealth is vital - to disabled people, high-risk people, poor people, and those in healthcare deserts. There is no point in telehealth if we are forced into going to a physical (in location) doctor.
If you are an American citizen and have not written a comment, consider doing so. So many people rely on telehealth, both to keep themselves safe and ensure they can continue living their lives. People deserve the same access to healthcare. Telehealth is a vital component of our healthcare system. It must be accessible to all people.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is planning on changing their regulations for telehealth prescriptions of controlled substances. However, they have opened comments up for people to voice their opinions. You can submit a formal anonymous comment HERE. The comment period ends on March 31st, 2023.
This is an important issue for those who are prescribed controlled substances (e.g., testosterone or ADHD medication) through telehealth, which means it can and will impact trans people on testosterone and a ton of others if this goes through.
#reblog#it definitely impacts me as i live in a rural area with no trans healthcare + being on testosterone#and it impacts so so many disabled people - some who cannot leave home and therefore NEED telehealth#they especially can't just... get in their car and go to appointments#iirc there are a ton of scheduled controlled substances which are impacted#very much love (/s) how people are treated as guilty until proven innocent wrt their fucking medication :)
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After Mississippi banned his hormone shots, an 8-hour journey
Katie had done all she could to prepare for this trip. She’d asked a relative to pick up her two younger boys from school. She’d researched how to change a tire, and she’d spent hours on Google Maps, searching for the closest Walgreens in Alabama. She’d finally found a destination in Thomasville, a rural town nearly 200 miles from their suburban Mississippi home, but much remained unclear. Would they make it by noon for Ray’s telehealth appointment? Would the pharmacy give him testosterone?
Katie looked at her boy, a thin 17-year-old with wavy hair and an easy grin, and she asked herself the question that had begun to matter least: Was she breaking the law?
Two months earlier, Mississippi had banned transgender young people, like Ray, from accessing hormones or other gender-transition treatments. By mid-spring, nearly half the country had passed similar bills, according to the Movement Advancement Project, and now, 1 in 3 trans children lives in a state with a ban. Conservative lawmakers said they’d pushed the bills to protect young people, but Katie felt like they’d done the opposite. Testosterone had allowed her son to embody himself for the first time. Ray was present, happy. The ban would take that happiness away.
Across the country, families were doing everything they could to protect their trans children. Some uprooted their lives in red states for the promise of protections in blue ones. Others filed lawsuits. Katie couldn’t afford to move, and she needed a solution faster than the courts could offer, so she’d settled on a cheaper, quicker plan: She’d take a day off from her nursing job, and she and Ray would travel out of state for his medical care.
No one should have to go to these lengths just to access what is essentially basic life-saving heath care.
Also, major shout out to QMed and Dr. Lowell and the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project for the work that they are doing to help trans youth and adults in red states access gender affirming care.
#trans#trans healthcare bans#trans healthcare#gender affirming hormone therapy#gender affirming healthcare#gaht#transgender#trans rights#trans rights are human rights#protect trans lives#protect trans youth
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Telehealth 2025: The Final Rule - AAPC Knowledge Center
https://www.aapc.com/blog/91584-telehealth-2025-the-final-rule/
Pre-pandemic geographic and location restrictions for telehealth (before March 1, 2020) are being reinstated. This means that unless a Medicare patient lives or is located in a health professional shortage area, a rural census track, or a county outside of the metropolitan statistical area at the time of service they will not be covered for telehealth services.
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No. 46 - Royal Flying Doctor Service
In contravention of my normal operating procedures I've fast-tracked this request to the front of my queue because of how fantastically timed it is. It was requested the day my BermudAir post went up, and the moment I saw it I realized I was going to publish it as the next entry on this blog, because I want to highlight something really important and really positive about aviation. So thank you @alionessespride for the impetus to discuss why aviation is genuinely indispensable, regardless of what cynical things people might use it for.
My most recent post on BermudAir is definitely a major downer, and other posts I've done, like my David Neeleman special and various other assorted brief allusions, have been really distinctly pessimistic and jaded about the motivations of airlines. Which I don't regret or think is bad or wrong - these are very omnipresent specters in the airline industry, which is inherently more than a little predatory both due to its necessity for profit and its very heavy ties to the military-industrial complex, with airlines, governments, and manufacturers ending up in elaborate daisy chains of sweetheart deals and making money being sort of incompatible with anything I'd consider a virtue.
But I went on about this in my Neeleman post and sort of alluded to it with BermudAir as well - aviation isn't just that, and it's really hugely important. In addition to the sheer fact that people who live on islands or in remote places with poor infrastructure can easily access the rest of the world, aviation provides a lot of important services - weather research/surveillance, aerial firefighting, aerial inspection of things like power lines, agricultural work, greatly increasing the speed and thoroughness of search and rescue, and of course air medical services.
If you live in a major city you probably get a handful of ambient helicopters (I've been told a lot of people find them annoying because they tend to fly quite low), and if you've ever wondered what they are, they're probably medevac helicopters. There's a chance they're news, or private helicopters, or something else, but most of the time they're there to airlift people to hospitals if their condition is too dire to wait for the length of time an ambulance would take to get them to the trauma center, and a helicopter can easily land in a small, precise area and bring them there.
Which is all well and good, but that's for large cities. But most of the world actually isn't large cities. Case in point: most of Australia is borderline empty.
Most of Australia is on par with places like Alaska. While it's overall the fourth least dense country in the world, that density is wildly skewed and the best thing I can say for the dark green section is that it's still denser than Greenland, but not denser than Mongolia. Safe to say you aren't getting an ambulance if you live in there. So what if you have an acute medical problem which needs immediate attention to prevent your death?
The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) is probably the best-known aeromedical service. It was the first such organization, nearly 100 years old, established in 1928. They provide medical services, particularly in medical emergencies, to the parts of Australia where getting someone to a hospital would probably otherwise take days. They also provide telehealth services, transfer of patients between hospitals, and transport general practitioners to places which lack access to primary care, among other things.
The initial ask requesting them outlined a lot of this:
RFDS is an absolute lifeline in rural, regional, and remote Australia, staffed with flight doctors and nurses that fly out 24/7/365. Often they land on runways that are actually just roads or dirt strips, sometimes with the runway lit up for a night landing with rolls of toilet paper dipped in kerosene and lit on fire. They move patients that may be many many hours from any medical service, as first responders to an incident or as a medical evacuation service for small hospitals to big city hospitals.
It takes a special kind of skill to land a plane somewhere like this, and an even more special kind of skill to do paramedic work while someone is landing the plane you're in somewhere like this.
While initially RFDS just rented their airplanes and pilots from Qantas, these days they have their own fleet and pilots, and while it's hard to find exact numbers because of their several regional branches their planes number in the triple-digits and are mostly small-to-medium and capable of operation on very short, poorly-equipped airstrips (STOL). The most-used models are the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop, Pilatus PC-24 very light jet, and Beechcraft King Air 200 twin-turboprop.
They have a couple of different liveries, presumably varying by time and branch, so I'm going to stick with one I think is both more visibly distinct and more current.
Here's a fairly standard example of this livery. The 7NEWS sticker is, I believe, a sponsor - there are different ones on different planes. As you can see, the livery is primarily red, white, and blue, which I suppose is fair enough for a non-profit service in a country with a flag based on the Union Jack, though I still find it a bit of a pedestrian choice. That said, it's at least quite an ambulancey color scheme, though it's missing giant strobe lights and a siren. I think you could install those on a plane (I mean, strobe lights are actually mandatory, just not that type) but I feel like you also shouldn't, and this is better.
Here's a view from below, so you can see the clear and bright underside with RFDS emblazoned very visibly on it. Being easy to spot and identify is a broadly desirable trait in an emergency medical vehicle, and I love their specific choice in shade of fire-engine red. Note also the suspension on the landing gear and the weather radar on the wing facing towards the camera. The PC-12 is an incredibly designed aircraft which is popular for good reason, and is very well-suited to exactly what the RFDS is doing.
The white is used in a very interesting way, where the transition between it being a dividing line separating red from blue and the main body of the aircraft with the blue as just a swash is very very subtle, and the taper of the red is extremely well-executed. The red underside is excellent because it specifically prevents the blue and white from blending in with the sky, which wouldn't be ideal.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service and/or RFDS name is placed in three distinct places - the underside, the rudder, and above the windows. My gripe is that I wish they were a little bigger and more visible, I think. I'm not sure about the rudder, but I think a relatively easy fix would be to make the text above the windows bold and red - perhaps they just wanted to sequester the red fully to the bottom of the plane rather than having it on both sides of the blue, which I understand but don't think I fully endorse.
Another great view of how the red tapers, though, and the blue's termination just below the nose, far enough back that the end is still clearly visible behind the propeller. I've always felt like PC-12s (and similar single-prop aircraft but for some reason especially the PC-12) look like they have a moustache, and this adds a pair of whiskers. I enjoy that.
Admittedly, with the painted nacelles on the King Air something about it can begin to get a little...plastic-looking, I don't have any way to word it better. The blue in general isn't my favorite - unlike the saturated red's strikingness, it just sort of looks over-saturated in a way that I dislike. I'm not sure what would fix this. Maybe a darker blue?
Now, the RFDS's livery is by far the least worth-discussing thing about them. The service that they provide goes way beyond appearances, and because of that and because of the fact that designing liveries for smaller planes like this begins to get difficult I'm going to not be as harsh to them as I would other subjects. I'm just not really going to take into account the fact that this is a pretty generic scheme, because that's fine, there's no reason to care. My main takeaways are that the placement of the colors is quite well-executed, and that I wish the wordmark on the main fuselage body was more distinct. In photographs it's honestly downright illegible, and the text on the rudder doesn't exactly pop out either. The tailfin, in general, looks a little cluttered, like they didn't want to leave it empty but couldn't figure out what to do with it - the RFDS text doesn't even appear centered. But at the very least it's visible, which is crucial for an air ambulance service. Maybe I wish there was less white, but there's enough red and blue, and it's bright enough, so it's done its job.
That said, I'm giving them a C.
This is exactly what I expect of them. They've done a completely adequate job, and probably in a roundabout way it's good they've been spending their money on things that aren't genius graphic design. So if you have anything to take away from this post, don't have it be the grade, or even the fact that the Pilatus PC-12 is a really fantastic airplane - have it be the fact that aviation isn't just airline startups and massive conglomerates, and that it literally saves lives and provides services that we city-dwellers take for granted to people who would otherwise have to go without.
#tarmac fashion week#grade: c#region: oceania#region: australia#era: 2010s#era: 2020s#(earliest use of this livery I could find was 2013 but I'm sure it's older)#royal flying doctor service#non airline liveries#requests
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This infographic from NIHCM addresses barriers to health care for Americans in rural areas: https://nihcm.org/publications/rural-health-addressing-barriers-to-care
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The North Star of communications policy should be to make services faster, better, and cheaper for all. Yet, next year, about 50 million Americans could find that their access to the core communications service of our time—broadband—has become slower, worse, and more expensive, with many even likely to be disconnected. That shift would constitute the biggest step any country has ever taken to widen, rather than close, its digital divide.
The reason for the potential debacle? The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides a $30 per month subsidy for broadband to over 16 million households (with the number continuing to grow) will run out of funds.
Congress established the ACP in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021. That law correctly observed that “a broadband connection and digital literacy are increasingly critical to how individuals participate in the society, economy, and civic institutions of the United States; and access health care and essential services, obtain education, and build careers.”
To assure that all were connected, the law appropriated $65 billion to broadband. Congress devoted most of the funds to network deployments in unserved and underserved areas, but there was another $14.25 billion allocated to the ACP to assure that broadband would be affordable to all. The program is projected exhaust all its funds sometime in the first half of 2024.
The end of the program would be a disaster for families who generally have little savings or discretionary income and will suddenly face monthly broadband charges of $30 or more. It would also rob the broader economy of an opportunity to grow faster due to universal connectivity. As demonstrated by a 2021 study on the employment effects of subsidized broadband for low-income Americans, such programs increase employment rates and earnings of eligible individuals due to greater labor force participation and decreased probability of unemployment, with a benefit of $2,200 annually for low-income households.
Ending the program would also limit the enormous potential for savings in critical services that broadband can deliver. For example, in health care, data from Cigna Healthcare shows that patients save an average of $93 when using non-urgent virtual care instead of an in-person visit. Similarly, patients save an average of $120 when the virtual visit involves a specialist, and $141 with a virtual urgent-care clinic over an in-person one. Given that the Medicaid-eligible population and the ACP-eligible population overlap significantly, the savings for the government in assuring all can afford telehealth likely pays for itself. In addition, as Brookings Metro has previously noted, widespread broadband access also leads to improved outcomes in education, jobs, and social services, which would be lost if the ACP elapses.
The ACP’s expiration will also create problems for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program—the $42.5 billion network deployment program Congress created in the IIJA. A study reviewing the ACP’s impact on BEAD concluded that it reduces the subsidy needed to incentivize providers to build in rural areas by 25% per household, writing: “The existence of ACP, which subsidizes subscriber service fees up to $360 per year, reduces the per-household subsidy required to incentivize ISP investment by $500, generating benefit for the government and increasing the market attractiveness for new entrants and incumbent providers.” As the National Urban League has observed, that study demonstrates that “if Congress fails to reauthorize ACP, the federal government likely will end up overpaying for broadband deployments. As a result, the federal dollars will end up funding deployments to significantly fewer unserved and underserved homes and businesses.”
The obvious solution is for Congress to continue funding the program. That is possible, as it enjoys bipartisan support. For example, former Republican FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly penned an op-ed titled “A Conservative Case for the Affordable Connectivity Program.” EducationSuperhighway, a national nonprofit with the mission of closing the digital divide, identified 28 governors who have prioritized implementing the ACP, including those from deep-red states such as Alabama, Idaho, and Mississippi. And polling suggests the program is widely popular among the public, with a January poll showing a “strong bipartisan majority of voters (78 percent) support continuing the ACP, including 64 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of Independents, and 95 percent of Democrats.”
But despite the ACP’s importance and popularity, it is questionable whether the Republican-controlled House will continue funding it, given the party’s attacks on other social safety net programs.
Should ACP funding be discontinued, there are alternatives—but all come with their own concerns. The FCC could fund the program itself, through the mechanism by which it funds universal service programs. That framework, however, is already under stress from legal challenges to its constitutionality and a shrinking revenue base, which has declined by 63% in the last two decades. States could design their own programs, such as New York did by requiring providers to offer a $15 broadband service to low-income residents. But in 2021, a judge ruled that the program violates federal law. Moreover, it is questionable whether the country’s universal service ambitions are best served by a fragmented set of state programs.
The National Urban League proposed a promising alternative in its Lewis Latimer Plan for Digital Equity and Inclusion. (Disclosure: The author of this piece assisted the National Urban League in its development of the Latimer Plan and its analysis of the implications of the ACP on the BEAD program.) Noting the cost savings demonstrated through telehealth, the plan proposed allowing Medicaid to enable states to provide broadband vouchers, like what the ACP offers, to eligible persons. This is similar to the way health insurance providers offer non-medical benefits that, over time, reduce the cost of health coverage. Of course, such a plan would require an administrative process to determine if and how to proceed. But it offers an alternative that would provide a sustainable source of funding.
The ACP, like any new program, could use some incremental fixes. As a Government Accountability Office review of the program noted, the FCC could improve performance goals and measures, consumer outreach, and fraud risk management. The FCC is working to do so.
But those reforms should not take our eyes off the crisis close at hand. Two years ago, the government came together in an unusually bipartisan way to assure that all could afford the broadband service they need in their homes to fully participate in the economy and society. Since then, the importance of broadband for accessing essential services has only grown. We should make the years ahead be the ones when we finally close the digital divide—not allow it to grow even more.
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AN OPEN LETTER to THE U.S. CONGRESS
Fund the Affordable Connectivity Program NOW!
130 so far! Help us get to 250 signers!
I’m a concerned constituent writing to urge you to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program or ACP. Digital connectivity is a basic necessity in our modern world and the internet must be treated as a public utility. We use the internet to apply for jobs, perform our jobs, receive telehealth medical treatment, and pay bills, and students use it to complete homework assignments. But for millions of people in rural and urban areas, and Tribal communities, the internet is a luxury they cannot afford. Failure by Congress to fund this program will force millions of households already on tight budgets to choose between being able to stay online or potentially losing access to this essential service. If Congress doesn’t act fast, funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program will run out and more than 22 million Americans -- 1 in 6 households -- will lose this vital service. The implications of this will be devastating. In 2019, 18% of Native people living on Tribal land had no internet access; 33% relied on cell phone service for the internet; and 39% had spotty or no connection to the internet at home on their smart phone. The ACP has enrolled 320,000 households on Tribal lands -- important progress. The largest percentage gains in broadband access are in rural areas. Nearly half of military families are enrolled in ACP, as are one in four African American and Latino households. Losing access and training on using computers and the internet will have devastating impacts on all these communities as technology becomes increasingly integral to work, education, health, and our everyday lives. Without moves to address tech inequality, low-income communities and communities of color are heading towards an “unemployment abyss.” The Affordable Connectivity Program has broad bipartisan support because it is working. As your constituent, I am urging you to push for renewed funding for the ACP before it runs out in the coming weeks.
▶ Created on April 11 by Jess Craven
📱 Text SIGN PJXULY to 50409
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lol. lmao, even
#bills#broadband#utilities#phone#phone access#no pay phones anymore#fcc#distraction politics#distraction#us politics#affordable connectivity program#acp#affordable phone#affordable price#affordable#connection#open letter#petition#closed mouths don't get fed#poverty#working class#affordable internet#services#phone service#internet services#discourse#ivys queue#boost the signal#boosting#signal boost
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𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞?
Cancer care is complex and often requires frequent monitoring, consultations, and timely interventions. However, not all patients have easy access to in-person oncology visits, especially those in rural areas or undergoing intensive treatments. As a result, many patients experience delays in care, which can negatively impact their outcomes. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 With telemedicine, oncologists can provide remote cancer care, reducing the need for hospital visits. Patients in rural or mobility-limited situations benefit from virtual consultations, which improve accessibility. By enabling remote symptom monitoring and timely follow-ups, telemedicine helps ensure proactive interventions. Staffingly, Inc. offers 24/7 patient support and care coordination, making telehealth services seamless and efficient. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞... 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: https://lnkd.in/dq-7fMUA 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, visit us🌐 https://www.staffingly.com 📧 [email protected] 📞 Call Toll Free: (800) 489-5877 📅 Book a Meeting: https://hie.li/meetdan #TelehealthSolutions #PhysicalTherapy #RemoteRehab #Telemedicine#VirtualHealthcare #RehabilitationCare #HealthcareOutsourcing#PatientCare #StaffinglyInc #PhysicalTherapists
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NRS Nursing also offers telehealth services in Nepal. Our objective is to offer individuals in rural regions with access to health care and medical solutions. Not only that, but we want to be the most accessible, competitively priced, and trustworthy health care provider in Nepal.
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Pediatric Hospitals Market set to hit $356.6 billion by 2035, as per recent research by DataString Consulting
advancements in technology adoption trends are reshaping patient care for children through the integration of cutting edge tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) telemedicine services for remote consultations with doctors and specialists electronic health records (EHR) and virtual reality experiences that enhance the overall quality of pediatric healthcare services offered to patients and families alike The utilization of these innovative technologies plays a crucial role in ensuring more precise diagnoses and streamlining patient health management practices leading to enhanced treatment outcomes for young patients Moreover by embracing digital transformation practices pediatric hospitals are fostering new avenues, for delivering healthcare services by facilitating telehealth solutions tailored for individuals residing in remote or rural areas thereby expanding the accessibility and impact of pediatric medical facilities across various communities
Industry Leadership and Strategies
The Pediatric Hospitals market within top 3 demand hubs including U.S., China and Germany, is characterized by intense competition, with a number of leading players such as Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Seattle Children's Hospital, Phoenix Children's Hospital, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Childrens National Hospital, CHOC Children's Hospital and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. Below table summarize the strategies employed by these players within the eco-system.
LeadingProviders
Provider Strategies
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Implementation of cutting-edge research and treatments, while providing ample emotional support for families
Children's National Hospital
Use of advanced technologies and innovative practices in neonatal intensive care to deliver superior patient outcomes
Texas Children's Hospital
Combining multi-disciplinary care teams, advanced surgical procedures, and family-centered care for optimized results
Boston Children's Hospital
Leveraging research-based treatments, collaborative approach, and comprehensive care facilities for neurologic disorders.
This market is expected to expand substantially between 2025 and 2030, supported by market drivers such as rising prevalence of chronic diseases in children, technological advancements in pediatric care, and growing focus on child healthcare infrastructure.
Regional Analysis
In North Americas Pediatric Hospitals market is competitive thanks to its advanced healthcare facilities and services for children with chronic illnesses are increasingly in demand due to medical advancements in pediatrics Boston Childrens Hospital and Cincinnati Childrens Hospital are among the key players, in the United States These hospitals stand out for their effective growth plans cutting edge treatment options and enhanced research funding contributing to the markets progress
Research Study analyse the global Pediatric Hospitals market in detail and covers industry insights & opportunities at Service Types (Inpatient Services, Outpatient Services), Facility Size (Small Size Hospitals, Medium Size Hospitals, Large Size Hospitals) and Treatment Spectrum (General Pediatrics, Pediatric Specialties (Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Oncology)) for more than 20 countries.
About DataString Consulting
DataString Consulting assist companies in strategy formulations & roadmap creation including TAM expansion, revenue diversification strategies and venturing into new markets; by offering in depth insights into developing trends and competitor landscapes as well as customer demographics. Our customized & direct strategies, filters industry noises into new opportunities; and reduces the effective connect time between products and its market niche. DataString Consulting offers complete range of market research and business intelligence solutions for both B2C and B2B markets all under one roof. DataString’s leadership team has more than 30 years of combined experience in Market & business research and strategy advisory across the world. Our Industry experts and data aggregators continuously track & monitor high growth segments within more than 15 industries and 60 sub-industries.
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In case you had paywall issues or found the ads on the site made your computer crash, here's the article:
By Judy Stone
Telehealth will end on December 31 unless Congress takes urgent action to pass the Telehealth Moderniztion Act of 2024.
Before COVID, Medicare provided limited coverage for telehealth and mainly limited it to rural patients. It required them to go to a local hospital or clinic to interact with a specialist until early 2020. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare greatly expanded coverage to include patients anywhere, allowing them to access specialty care from home. Expanded services also included physical and occupational therapy, emergency department visits, and nursing facility care via telehealth. This expansion provided care to Medicare’s 64 million enrollees and broadened pre-existing access for 76 million low-income Americans on Medicaid.
It’s not just patients on Medicare/Medicaid who need to worry if this bill isn’t renewed. Private insurers often follow Medicare’s lead regarding what services they will cover.
Congress.gov summarizes the H.R. 7623 Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 as follows: “This bill modifies requirements relating to coverage of telehealth services under Medicare.
Specifically, the bill permanently extends certain flexibilities that were initially authorized during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19. Among other things, the bill allows (1) rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); (2) the home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) for all services (rather than for only certain services); and (3) all types of practitioners to furnish telehealth services, as determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.”
Why Does Telehealth Matter?
Being able to access medical remotely has been a huge boon to many, particularly in rural areas or those who are disabled.
Jessica Offir, PhD, is a disabled health care advocate and social psychologist for whom telemedicine is a priority issue. She observed that a stumbling block to the renewal of the bill is that “insurance companies didn't want to pay the same amounts as they were for in-person care, but providers have been insisting on it.” She added, “Trump is also wanting to reduce Medicare & Medicaid payouts, and this is one way to make that happen, as telehealth greatly increased the healthcare access of the elderly and disabled. Take away access, and payments decrease. The only entities who benefit are insurers.”
My own family are ardent supporters of access to telemedicine. We live in western Maryland, a three-hour drive to the university hospitals in Washington/Baltimore. I’m unable to drive that far, so increasingly rely on remote services, particularly for specialties that are poorly represented in our town. If telemedicine services are cut, I will be unable to access some specialties I need. Someone drives me twice a year for in-person examinations. These increasingly feel hazardous to my health for two reasons—one is the worsening traffic and trucking on the interstate. The other is that while my family still recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended, our providers have not. They have stopped masking and even turned off HEPA filters in exam areas and waiting rooms, leaving them abandoned and useless. I take an Aranet CO2 monitor with me everywhere and try to educate people. On one recent visit, the CO2 level went from 600 ppm when I entered the exam room, to 1704 ppm before I left! That’s a level that can make you sleepy and show poorer judgment. I explained to the physician that each breath that he took had 3.4% rebreathed air from someone else, per SN Rudnick and Don Milton’s study, popularized by David Elfstrom’s reference table. That caught his attention and recognition of his potential risk of a Covid or other respiratory tract infection.
My experience is not unique. A recent article found that more than 17 percent of older Medicare beneficiaries similarly report difficulty traveling to doctor’s offices. Those over 65 averaged about 17 contact days that year for ambulatory care. That rose to 30 contact days per year for the 14 percent of patients with ten or more chronic illnesses—a considerable time and energy burden.
Another study of cancer patients found (73.8%) rated their first telemedicine visit as good as or better than an in-person visit, and 4606 (18.9%) rated it superior. In another striking example, those who received care through telehealth with peer assistance were almost seven times more likely to be treated for hepatitis C and four times more likely to achieve viral clearance after six months.
One bit of good news is that on November 15, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced they will extend telemedicine flexibilities through 2025. This is an important win for access to medication in end-of-life care. More than 40,000 comments were submitted to the DEA.
Paying for telehealth is a major concern now, although there has been bipartisan support for the bill. A House Republican staffer explained that “Medicare beneficiaries are on a cliff, losing tele services after December 31 2024.” Congress is negotiating how long another extension could look like and where the funding will come from, with the two parties not yet in agreement.
There have been higher per-person costs where more telehealth is used. On the other hand, telemedicine might improve patient compliance with medications and reduce costly emergency room visits.
One can argue about relative costs, but the bottom line is that there are people behind these numbers—largely disabled, elderly and rural. There are some concerns about ensuring quality of care, but that appears to be minor.
The Action Network is encouraging people to write their Congressional representatives to urge them to pass this Telehealth Modernization Act before the end of the year. It’s the only chance of saving it. With the news of planned slashes to government spending, there is no time to waste.
As Offir reminds us, “Once again, the people who will be most harmed are the vulnerable populations that can least afford to be.”
You can contact your House representatives here, and Senators here.
Please contact your Congresspeople about this one. It's vital.
You can send an email via ResistBot here:
#telehealth#this is important#everyone can benefit#it's done so much good#write your congressperson#full article text
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