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Where healthcare meets the future. We’re your trusted voice in telehealth law, policy, and innovation—connecting leaders, advancing care, and ensuring access for all. Join us in shaping the next frontier of digital health. www.ctel.org
RecovryAI, a chatbot designed for patients recovering from joint replacement surgery, was granted Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA. This comes shortly after the Agency’s announcement last month that it will limit its regulation of wearables and AI tools.
www.reuters.com/business/hea...
Congress advanced cybersecurity legislation, held hearings on AI in care delivery, and the FDA granted Breakthrough status to an AI recovery chatbot, while HHS banned Claude over security concerns.
open.substack.com/pub/ctel/p/c...
If you missed our webinar yesterday, CTeL welcomed international trade advisor Milton Koch, C.P.A. of Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney, to discuss what recent tariff developments mean for the digital health sector.
youtu.be/Av1nzStMwjs
A new initiative called EHIgnite, which seeks to develop tools, platforms, & workflows that transform raw EHI into usable, readable, and actionable information.
The initiative includes prizes of up to $250,000.
ehignitechallenge.org
CMS issued an RFI seeking “solutions that can provide personalized plan recommendations, conversational AI support, predictive analytics, accessible decision support tools, and call center automation.” Responses are due March 31, 2026.
www.documentcloud.org/documents/27...
Policy scoop: SCOTUS struck down tariffs, CMS launched AI/interoperability efforts, and workforce + Medicare concerns grew. CTeL advanced workforce policy and RPM research amid rising system pressures.
open.substack.com/pub/ctel/p/c...
HHS OCR announced a new program to enforce confidentiality requirements for SUD patients introduced by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
www.hhs.gov/press-room/h...
Join us on March 4 for a webinar featuring Milton Koch, CPA, Trade Advisor with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, for a discussion on the Supreme Court’s recent tariff decision and what it means for digital health.
us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
This week’s policy scoop highlights new federal momentum around AI and telehealth, including extended Medicare flexibilities, evolving FDA and HHS priorities, and growing AI adoption across care delivery as digital health policy continues to take shape.
open.substack.com/pub/ctel/p/c...
New federal AI policy updates are shaping healthcare. This AI Working Group covers the latest appropriations bill, FDA oversight, wearables, interoperability, TEFCA, and CMS priorities. Watch the full discussion below.
youtu.be/XT4_SfKFXwE
CTeL joins the National Specialty Care Access Coalition to expand access to medical specialists through scalable, tech-enabled, multispecialty care models.
Learn more: specialtycareaccess.org
UT Health San Antonio built RPM into every room of its new 144-bed hospital, integrating Epic, virtual nursing, and centralized monitoring, with plans to add ambient AI for documentation.
www.healthleadersmedia.com/innovation/i...
This week’s Policy Scoop covers the telehealth waiver extension through 2027, Acute Hospital Care at Home renewal, new HHS billing codes, major AI shifts, CMS’s ACA proposal, TEFCA growth, and state updates.
open.substack.com/pub/ctel/p/c...
Miss Tuesday’s Telehealth Working Group? Watch the recording for a breakdown of the partial shutdown, Medicare telehealth waiver lapse, extension through 12/31/27, Acute Hospital Care at Home extension, and new HHS telehealth modifier requirements.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
HHS published its most recent AI Use Case Inventory for FY25, which includes the use of AI tools to screen and audit grants.
www.hhs.gov/programs/top...
FDA launched the TEMPO pilot to support access to digital health devices, aligned with CMMI’s ACCESS model. Statements of interest opened Jan 2, with follow-ups expected around March 2.
www.fda.gov/medical-devi...
New York’s Greater Johnstown School District is launching a school-based telehealth pilot with Albany Med on March 3, bringing virtual care into the nurse’s office with parent opt-in and no insurance requirement.
www.news10.com/classroom-pr...
Big week for telehealth: New federal recovery initiatives, HHS released its FY25 AI Use Case Inventory, TrumpRX is live, Congress extended telehealth through 2027 and Hospital at Home through 2030, plus state action in SC and VA.
open.substack.com/pub/ctel/p/c...
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced $100 million for the “Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Supports (STREETS)” initiative.
www.hhs.gov/press-room/s...
H.R.7148 is now law, ending the shutdown and extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities through 12/31/2027 and Hospital at Home through 9/30/2030. Telehealth waivers apply retroactively.
www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
New Executive Order launches the White House Great American Recovery Initiative, recognizing addiction as a chronic, treatable disease and uniting health, housing, justice, education, and workforce efforts for recovery.
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Medicare telehealth waivers may lapse, reverting to pre-COVID rules. Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law urges prep for disruption as CMS issues CY27 MA rates, ONC proposes USCDI v7, and states advance telehealth bills.
open.substack.com/pub/ctel/p/c...
Missed CTeL’s webinar on telehealth, audio-only & async care? Sophie Fisher and Lydia Homovich break down state-by-state rules, patient relationship standards, and emerging AI trends.
youtu.be/CbVbDO924L0
This week CTeL’s AI & LLM Working Group covered federal telehealth updates, barriers to AI adoption in clinical care, agentic AI use cases, liability concerns, and emerging state pilots.
youtu.be/baaQYXEbvFs?...
If you missed our #telehealth working group on Tuesday, you can view the recording where we discussed the upcoming expiration of #Medicare telehealth waivers and DEA prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances:
youtu.be/6guuInV7OFA
OpenAI announced OpenAI for Healthcare: ChatGPT for Healthcare + API options incl. BAA for HIPAA-aligned use.
openai.com/index/openai...
Utah is piloting an AI system that can autonomously refill certain prescription medications under its regulatory sandbox. The program covers about 190 common chronic-condition drugs, with exclusions, and is drawing attention from regulators and patient safety groups.
arstechnica.com/health/2026/...
The White House just launched the U.S. Tech Force, a two year federal program recruiting technologists to work directly inside agencies on AI, cybersecurity, defense, and critical government systems. Applications are now open through OPM.
techforce.gov
CMS just rolled out the ACCESS Model alongside FDA’s TEMPO Pilot, signaling a new approach to tech-enabled chronic care and real-world data. Melissa Wong, JD breaks down what this means for virtual care on Thursday, Dec 18 at 2 PM ET.
Register now: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
