Lacktman Comments on Why Teladoc-Livongo Merger Is Happening Now

August 5, 2020 Forbes

Partner Nathaniel Lacktman was quoted in the Forbes article, “Say Hello To The Largest Virtual Care Company: Telavongo, The $38 Billion Merger Between Teladoc And Livongo,” about why the timing was right for the merger of two of the largest virtual health care companies.

“From a policy perspective, federal and state regulators are building a clear pathway for the use of telemedicine to create valid, meaningful doctor-patient relationships without an in-person exam,” Lacktman said.

Additionally, the Center of Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) has taken bold steps to broadly allow and encourage the use of remote patient monitoring solutions among practitioners, something that will only be furthered by the White House’s recent executive order to create more pro-telehealth regulations. “When Medicare covers a service, commercial and employer plans tend to follow. With CMS setting the stage for the use of remote patient monitoring services to patients with both acute and chronic care needs, technology companies can leverage the expertise of remote clinical staff while receiving a monthly payment for these services,” said Lacktman.

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