American Well® and Cisco to Expand Telehealth in the Home, Via the T.V.
Companies to Focus on Television-based Care for Elders, Supported by 2020 Medicare Advantage Reimbursement Rule
BOSTON, June 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- American Well®, a leading U.S. telehealth company, today announced it is working with Cisco Systems to extend care delivery from hospitals and health systems into the home. For this initiative, the companies will leverage their respective expertise in healthcare infrastructure and collaboration technology, to transform the telehealth options currently available to elder patients. Initial plans include converting in-home television sets into American Well patient CarePoints for broad based, telehealth care delivery.
"Telehealth is quickly becoming an effective way for Americans to get access to urgent care. While this revolution continues, a new breed of telehealth is emerging. This one will go the other way, empowering doctors and nurses to use technology to knock on our door and visit us at home regularly. This will allow healthcare that previously warranted hospital admission or facility stay to take place in the home, where so many of us prefer to be. Importantly, telehealth will allow us, and our elders, to expect a longer, safer and more graceful aging, in our homes," said Roy Schoenberg, MD, MPH, CEO at American Well. "A new age is upon us, and we couldn't be more excited to lay its cornerstone today with Cisco."
The companies will focus initial collaborative efforts on transforming in-home television sets into a modality for telehealth to benefit and advance elder care. This focus comes on the heels of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcement to expand telehealth access and coverage in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, which accounts for approximately one-third, or 20 million, of Medicare beneficiaries.
"Our collaboration technology and the innovation we're driving throughout our portfolio will translate into truly personalized and amazing experiences for telehealth patients, especially the elder population who are often severely limited in their access to traditional medical care," said Amy Chang, Senior Vice President/GM, Cisco Collaboration. "Together with American Well, Cisco is committed to transforming how people receive quality healthcare. Technology and infrastructure will help collapse the space between home and medical professionals so our senior population can receive the medical care they deserve."
As part of the latest ruling from CMS, Medicare Advantage members will have more access to virtual care visits. Broader reimbursement for telehealth services will begin in January 2020. See additional details on the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 Provisions here.
For more information on American Well's telehealth product line, visit: https://www.americanwell.com/solution-overview/
For more information on Cisco's collaboration technology portfolio, visit: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collaboration/index.html
About American Well
American Well is a leading telehealth platform in the United States and globally, connecting and enabling providers, insurers, patients, and innovators to deliver greater access to more affordable, higher quality care. American Well believes that digital care delivery will transform healthcare. The Company offers a single, comprehensive platform to support all telehealth needs from urgent to acute and post-acute care, as well as chronic care management and healthy living. With over a decade of experience, American Well powers telehealth solutions for over 130 health systems comprised of 2,000 hospitals and 55 health plan partners with over 7,000 employers, covering over 150 million lives. For more information, please visit AmericanWell.com.
American Well, Amwell, Digital First and The Exchange are registered trademarks or trademarks of American Well Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
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Media Contact:
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SOURCE American Well
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