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Each state in India is governed by a chief minister who has been voted into power. Union territories, on the other hand, have a governor at the helm with the exception of Delhi and Puducherry, who also have serving chief ministers. A chief minister’s term lasts five years, however there are no restrictions on the number of times an official can be reelected. As such, Odisha’s Naveen Patnaik has been in office since March 2000 having served as chief minister for over 19 years. A stark gender disparity also stands out. Among the 30 heads of state, only one is a woman — Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. Aside from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, no longer political party has more than one chief minister in office. Here’s a short introduction to all the current ruling CMs of Indian states and UTs:

Chief Ministers of India: Here is the list of all 30

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="825836" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Wordpress">WordPress</keyword> is a free-to-use content management system (<keyword id="15615" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="cms">CMS</keyword>) that can help you build a <keyword id="6370485" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="website">website</keyword> with minimal technical knowledge.</li><li>WordPress has a wealth of features that allow users to make a wide variety of websites for different purposes.</li></ul>WordPress is a popular open-source content management system (CMS) that's free to use. It lets you build your own website without needing to learn <keyword id="860320" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="programming">programming</keyword> languages like JavaScript, Python, or C++. <h2 dir="ltr">What to know about WordPress</h2><div type="image" title="WordPress logo" height="3333" width="5000" msid="81119938" hostid="261"></div>WordPress can be used to create a wide range of websites, including personal blogs, online portfolios, business pages, and e-commerce websites thanks to a wealth of features.As an open-source software licensed under the <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/license/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GNU General Public License (GPL)</a>, WordPress isn't owned by one company or entity. Rather, hundreds of developers and users work together to constantly improve the software.WordPress was created as a blogging platform in 2003 by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. As a college student, Mullenweg used the b2 (also known as cafelog) blogging system, but the original creator stopped updating it. As a result, Mullenweg created his own version of the system with help from Little. While Mullenweg is the face of WordPress, the software continues to develop thanks to its community of contributors.<h2 dir="ltr">Who can use WordPress</h2>While WordPress started out as a blogging tool, these days it can be used to make all sorts of websites for all sorts of purposes, thanks to a plethora of plug-ins and themes. In other words, you can pretty much create any type of website you want with WordPress.WordPress can be used to create business websites, blogs, online resumes, portfolios, e-commerce stores, membership sites, and more.Quick note: When searching for WordPress online, you'll likely find two websites, <a href="https://wordpress.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wordpress.org</a> and <a href="https://wordpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wordpress.com</a>. The former is where you'll find the free software that you can install on your web host. The latter is a paid service that can help you build a website.WordPress.org allows you to own your website, and offers the most flexibility. All you need to start building your website are a domain name and web host. WordPress.com will host your website and handle everything for you, but at a monetary cost and loss of some flexibility.Some notable examples of WordPress sites include <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Yorker</a>, <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microsoft News Center</a>, and <a href="https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Walt Disney Company</a>.<div type="image" title="Screen_Shot_2021 02 19_at_5_49_52_PM" height="1423" width="2880" msid="81119939" hostid="261"></div>The software includes lots of features to help you build a unique site.<h2 dir="ltr">WordPress' most popular features</h2><ul><li dir="ltr">Themes: Themes give your website its general look and include color schemes, font styles, and a general layout. Themes are often customizable and provide a great starting point for creating your website without having to build it from scratch.</li><li dir="ltr">Plug-ins: Plug-ins are software you upload to your website to add features and functionality like e-commerce, contact forms, and an Instagram feed.</li><li dir="ltr">SEO: Search engine optimization (SEO) is what makes your website's content discoverable through search engines like Google. Better SEO means your content appears closer to the top of a search list, and WordPress offers a base code for SEO. </li><li dir="ltr">Mobile-friendly: Most WordPress themes come optimized for mobile devices, translating your website design to something that also works and looks good on phones.</li><li dir="ltr">WordPress block editor: This feature, also known as the <a href="https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gutenberg WordPress editor</a>, allows you to "drag and drop" your content for easy editing on WordPress pages and posts. </li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">What you need to start using WordPress</h2>For self-hosted WordPress sites (through <a href="https://wordpress.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wordpress.org</a>), you need two key things to get started: web hosting and a domain name. For web hosting, there are three common approaches: shared WordPress hosting, do-it-yourself VPS WordPress Hosting, and <a href="https://kinsta.com/blog/managed-wordpress-hosting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">managed WordPress hosting</a>.A domain name is your website address. Choosing a unique domain name can be tricky, as there are almost 2 billion websites currently in circulation, but there are some <a href="https://kinsta.com/blog/choose-domain-name/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">general tips</a> that can help you find and purchase the perfect available one.<h2>Related coverage from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tech Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-coding">What is coding? A brief guide to the facet of computer programming</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-carrd">What is Carrd? Everything you need to know about the simple website-building platform</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-alt-text-in-wordpress">What is alt text in WordPress? How to add image descriptions on your web page to improve accessibility and website ranking</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-google-sites">What is Google Sites? How to use the free website-building tool</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-canva">What is Canva? A guide to the graphic design platform's features and capabilities</a></h3></li></ul>

A quick guide to WordPress, the free-to-use website builder that powers some of the web's most popular sites

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In situations like the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic, <keyword id="921014" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="infectious-disease">infectious disease</keyword> doctors are indispensable experts who help us better understand viruses and the steps that society can take to mitigate damage.</li><li>Infectious disease specialists are some of the lowest paid physicians in the US, according to data from <a href="https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2019-compensation-overview-6011286">Medscape</a>.</li><li>"There are not enough people like me in the world right now," Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist at University of Chicago Medicine, told Business Insider. "It's hard to pay off your medical school loans in this kind of a job."</li><li>"The greatest barrier to going into our field is the financial concerns," said Dr. Thomas File, Jr., president of the Infectious Disease Society of America.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-live-updates-latest-news">Read live updates about the coronavirus here</a>.</li></ul>Experts who can help protect the world against viral pandemics and care for sick patients are in short supply in the US.The country currently has <a href="https://www.abim.org/~/media/ABIM%20Public/Files/pdf/statistics-data/candidates-certified-all-candidates.pdf">8,374 physicians</a> certified to practice infectious disease medicine, according to the American Board of Internal Medicine. And getting new doctors to join the field has been difficult. The number of applicants to infectious disease training programs has declined by around 20% in the past decade, said Dr. Thomas File, Jr., president of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA).We need a "substantial" number of additional infectious disease doctors to address future needs and possible pandemics, File said."We need more public <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> personnel," File said. "If there's nothing else that comes out of this, it's got to be the awareness and the importance of doing this."Infectious disease doctors diagnose and treat patients, and also help with responses during crises like the current coronavirus pandemic, alongside other experts like epidemiologists.<h2>Infectious disease specialist are some of the lowest paid doctors in the US</h2>One of the main reasons for the shortage of such experts, some specialists say, is the low pay offered to physicians in the field, relative to other specialties they could go into."There are not enough people like me in the world right now," Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist at University of Chicago Medicine, told Business Insider. Landon <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/protect-world-from-next-pandemic-experts-coronavirus-covid-2020-4">told Business Insider</a> that one of the key issues she saw in the handling of the current novel coronavirus pandemic was the shortage of people on the ground who could understand the virus and help society prepare for the damage."It's hard to pay off your medical school loans in this kind of a job," Landon said.The median medical school debt in the US stood at around $200,000 in 2018, <a href="https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/7-ways-reduce-medical-school-debt">according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)</a>, the licensing body for medical schools in the country.Infectious disease specialists made an average of $239,000 a year in the US in 2019, according to <a href="https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2019-compensation-overview-6011286">Medscape</a>, whose report ranked the doctors 25th on a list of 29 medical specialties by pay.It takes five years of training after medical school to become an infectious disease specialist. Becoming an internal medicine doctor takes just three years of added training, but those physicians make more money."The greatest barrier to going into our field is the financial concerns," File said.File said that despite the declining applicants to the field in the past decade, intense recruiting efforts in the past few years have put a pause on the steeper decline. But the field still hasn't been able to increase the number of applicants, he said. <h2>The current pandemic 'illustrates the need that the whole public health and infectious disease infrastructure needs to be improved'</h2>To arrest the decline and get more infectious disease doctors, File said the US needs to reconfigure how it pays doctors, so that those who perform surgeries and procedures don't get paid so much more than those who mainly consult with patients.The IDSA sent the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services a recommendation to consider these changes around six months ago, but the coronavirus pandemic has taken over much of the focus in the time since.File said he's "moderately confident" that such changes may be considered once the pandemic passes because he feels the current crisis "illustrates the need that the whole public health and infectious disease infrastructure needs to be improved."Infectious disease doctors have an important role to play, even when there's not a viral pandemic. They often work in hospitals to help figure out to treat patients who are infected with bacteria that are resistant to many drugs, for example.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/healthcare-workers-who-died-with-the-coronavirus-2020-4">American hospitals have lost dozens of medical workers to the coronavirus. Here are some of their stories.</a>"There's various studies that have been published that say if patients with an infection in a hospital are treated by a specialist, infectious diseases, that they have much better outcomes," File said. "The cure is better, the length of stay is less, the cost is much less, readmission rate is less and mortality is less." In a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/09/opinion/doctors-drug-resistant-infections.html">New York Times op-ed last year,</a> infectious disease specialist Dr. Matt McCarthy wrote about the impending future crises amid a declining number of infectious diseases specialists."Back in the day, there were only a handful of reliable antibiotics to choose from. But as more bugs have emerged, and more have become resistant to standard treatments, we've had to develop new drugs to fight them," McCarthy wrote.McCarthy ends his 2019 op-ed, just months before the first case of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> was detected in Wuhan, China, by saying: "We must hurry. Superbugs are coming for us. We need experts who know how to treat them." Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/infectious-disease-specialists-short-supply-low-paid-doctors-us-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

'It's hard to pay off your medical school loans in this kind of a job': Doctors who can protect the world against pandemics are in short supply

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This story was delivered to Business Insider Intelligence Digital Health Briefing subscribers earlier this morning.</li><li><a href="https://store.businessinsider.com/products/digital-health-pro-membership?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=content_marketing&amp;itm_campaign=briefing_post&amp;itm_content=top_text&amp;itm_term=bundle_subscription_text_link-cms-knocks-down-more-telehealth-barriers-amid-pandemic-2020-4">To get this story plus others to your inbox each day, hours before they're published on Business Insider, click here.</a></li></ul>The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) made another big step to expand telehealth services to Medicare members, <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmVja2Vyc2hvc3BpdGFscmV2aWV3LmNvbS90ZWxlaGVhbHRoL2Ntcy1hZGRzLTg1LW1vcmUtbWVkaWNhcmUtc2VydmljZXMtY292ZXJlZC11bmRlci10ZWxlaGVhbHRoLmh0bWw/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB0129486d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcing</a> it will now cover over 80 new services. The government health plan will pay for some remote monitoring services for conditions related to the coronavirus - like initial hospital care - as well as many unrelated to the virus - like neurological and psychological testing, <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucG9saXRpY28uY29tL21vcm5pbmdlaGVhbHRoLw/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB9e2ea1ba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per</a> Politico.It's also allowing docs to collect payments for conducting consultations over the phone, versus requiring video to collect payment. And the host of new services and looser restrictions should catapult virtual care uptake among the <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cua2ZmLm9yZy9tZWRpY2FyZS9zdGF0ZS1pbmRpY2F0b3IvdG90YWwtbWVkaWNhcmUtYmVuZWZpY2lhcmllcy8_Y3VycmVudFRpbWVmcmFtZT0wJnNvcnRNb2RlbD0lN0IlMjJjb2xJZCUyMjolMjJMb2NhdGlvbiUyMiwlMjJzb3J0JTIyOiUyMmFzYyUyMiU3RA/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB4ca28c9c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40 million</a> US seniors covered under traditional Medicare.The US government is cutting red tape impeding Medicare and Medicaid members from accessing care amid the coronavirus - and covering payment for a longer list of telehealth services could ensure the CMS' senior members receive care for costly chronic conditions, too. For example, in its initial spending package passed at the beginning of March, Congress pumped <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0L2NvbmdyZXNzLXBhc3NlZC1hbi04Yi1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1zcGVuZGluZy1wYWNrYWdlLWhlcmVzLXdoeS13ZS10aGluay10aGUtYmlsbHMtdGVsZWhlYWx0aC1wbGFuLXdpbGwtZmFsbC1zaG9ydC0yMDIwLTM/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB01b82576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$500 million</a> into an emergency telehealth program to eliminate barriers, like geographic location, that were inhibiting Medicare beneficiaries from accessing virtual care.And the CMS has been approving Medicaid waivers, allowing states to suspend <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0L2FsZXhhLWxhbmRzLWFjY2Vzcy10by1uaHMtMjAxOS03P2NpZD1zZWFyY2g/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB5e6f1131" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy</a> processes like prior authorization requirements, which can prolong the amount of time it takes overburdened docs to provide care, Modern Healthcare <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubW9kZXJuaGVhbHRoY2FyZS5jb20vbWVkaWNhaWQvY21zLWFwcHJvdmVzLW1lZGljYWlkLXdhaXZlcnMtMTEtc3RhdGVzLXJlc3BvbnNlLWNvdmlkLTE5LWNyaXNpcw/5d233c18f730436f2414784fBfe52a192" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notes</a>. Further, it makes sense for the CMS to add telehealth services for non-coronavirus medical conditions, considering seniors are costlier to take care of given the prevalence of <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2RjLmdvdi9jaHJvbmljZGlzZWFzZS9hYm91dC9jb3N0cy9pbmRleC5odG0/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB7f455391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-cost</a> chronic conditions among this cohort is <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0L3RoZS1kaWdpdGFsLXRoZXJhcGV1dGljcy1leHBsYWluZXItZGlnaXRhbC10cmVhdG1lbnRzLWNvdWxkLWJlLWEtOS1iaWxsaW9uLW9wcG9ydHVuaXR5LTIwMTktOA/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB41ed0cf7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">double</a> that of the general population. And adverse health events associated with these ailments could be exacerbated if seniors are unable to leave home to seek care as they normally do.Private insurers have also been paving the way for members to more easily access telehealth amid the pandemic - and we're seeing massive upticks in adoption among patients. The largest health insurers are also <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0L2NvdmlkLTE5LXRvLXNsYW0tZW1wbG95ZXJzLXdpdGgtbWFqb3ItdXB0aWNrLWluLWhlYWx0aGNhcmUtc3BlbmRpbmctdmVydGV4LXBpdm90cy10by12aXJ0dWFsLWNsaW5pY2FsLXRyaWFscy1hcHBsZS1kZWJ1dHMtY29yb25hdmlydXMtYXBwLTIwMjAtMz9jaWQ9c2VhcmNo/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB5aba693a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eliminating</a> copays for virtual doc visits and building out offerings for their beneficiaries. And <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYW1lcmljYW53ZWxsLmNvbS9hcHAvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDE5LzA3L0FtZXJpY2FuLVdlbGwtVGVsZWhlYWx0aC1JbmRleC0yMDE5LUNvbnN1bWVyLVN1cnZleS1lQm9vazIucGRm/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB9cdbc996" target="_blank" rel="noopener">once-hesitant</a> patients are turning to virtual options at astounding rates: In Washington state, telehealth vendor Amwell has seen a <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmVja2Vyc2hvc3BpdGFscmV2aWV3LmNvbS90ZWxlaGVhbHRoL3RlbGVoZWFsdGgtdmlzaXRzLXVwLTMxMi1pbi1uZXcteW9yay1jYXVzaW5nLW1ham9yLWxhZy10aW1lcy5odG1s/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB0706043c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">700%</a> uptick in patient volume since the start of the pandemic, for example.Industry pros <a href="https://e.businessinsider.com/click/19902546.4/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9wb3N0L3BsdXNoY2FyZS1jb2ZvdW5kZXJzLW9uLWhvdy10aGUtY29yb25hdmlydXMtY291bGQtbWFpbnN0cmVhbS10ZWxlaGVhbHRoLWluLXRoZS11cy0yMDIwLTM/5d233c18f730436f2414784fB6557def8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expect</a> telehealth usage to keep climbing post-coronavirus, but sustained uptake would would require all insurers' to continue paying for these services - and the fragmented insurance landscape in the US makes us unsure if a unified response to coverage is in the cards. The coronavirus is forcing patients to shake off any concerns about using telehealth. But US consumers are tethered to their insurers in terms of what types of care they can access - and how they receive it.It's unclear if payers will continue to offer and encourage the use of telehealth post-coronavirus or if they'll reapply restrictions after outbreaks subside. However, patients will likely get comfortable with the convenience telehealth affords - and traditional providers are going to want to make sure telehealth investments they're making now have long-term viability. So, it's likely we'll hear louder calls for private and public payers to keep telehealth options across the board accessible. And I (Zoë) think demand for unified virtual and traditional offerings from payers could translate into stronger support among US docs and patients for a single-payer system as the election season nears.Want to read more stories like this one? 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The CMS is now covering 80 new telehealth services for Medicare members

Welcome to Digital Health Briefing, the newsletter providing the latest news, data, and insight on how digital technology is disrupting the healthcare ecosystem, produced by Business Insider Intelligence.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/digital-health-briefing?IR=T">Sign up and receive Digital Health Briefing free to your inbox.</a>Have feedback? We'd like to hear from you. Write me at: <a href="mailto:lbeaver@businessinsider.com">lbeaver@businessinsider.com</a>APPLE WATCH SHIPMENTS GROW BY DOUBLE DIGITS, SPEARHEADING APPLE'S HEALTH EFFORTS: Global shipments of the Apple Watch grew by double digits during Q1 2018, <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/05/apple-reports-second-quarter-results/">according</a> to the company's quarterly earnings. While Apple doesn't break out details about wearables, growth in Watch shipments signals a positive outlook for the company's healthcare initiatives - CEO Tim Cook called the development a "major strategic thrust of ours."The Apple Watch spearheads the company's healthcare efforts, boasting several partnerships with researchers and health systems. For example, Apple is using consumer data collected from the Apple Heart study to seek FDA approval for a new "investigational device." A consent form sent to study participants noted that some de-identified user data would be a part of the company's FDA submission. MobiHealthNews says it confirmed that the "device" was the Heart Study app itself, which likely includes the algorithm used to identify heart arrhythmia. The Apple Heart Study <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-apple-stanford-medicine-launch-afib-study-mdlive-introduces-a-healthcare-chatbot-app-provider-launches-medical-blockchain-platform-2017-12">launched</a> in November 2017 in conjunction with Stanford Medicine and telehealth firm American Well.Although the Apple Watch is leading Apple's health strategy, it isn't the company's sole health-focused offering: <ul><li>ResearchKit and CareKit, Apple's developer frameworks, provide the basis for researchers to develop and maintain apps that track health data. Most recently, CareKit was used to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-blood-test-could-be-used-to-detect-8-types-of-cancers-fda-aims-to-attract-cutting-edge-medtech-to-the-us-sharp-healthcare-partners-with-apples-carekit-2018-1">develop</a> the Sharp Healthcare Companion App to aid patients during their surgery experience. </li><li>An <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-apple-leaps-into-ehr-market-telehealth-to-hit-mainstream-in-2018-accenture-loopback-hope-to-clear-up-value-based-care-2018-1">update</a> to the iOS Health app in March enables iPhone users in the US to receive, store, and share their electronic health records with 37 providers in the country. The Health app update is an important step in solving the interoperability issues that plague the EHR market.</li><li>Apple <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-apple-unveils-health-clinic-fitbit-misses-earnings-amid-pivot-samsungs-new-phone-will-have-in-built-health-trackers-2018-2">unveiled</a> the AC Wellness Network in February 2018. The group of internal health clinics will provide Apple's employees and their families with healthcare services. Current job listings for AC Wellness suggest that the network will offer primary care services, access to health and exercise coaches, and on-site lab tests. It's also likely that Apple will use the medical clinics to test and strengthen its health services and products.</li></ul><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="BI Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ae8db4619ee8656008b47c0-960/bii apple revenue by product 2q18.png"></a>BI Intelligence</div></div></div>NOKIA TO SELL DIGITAL HEALTH BUSINESS BACK TO WITHINGS CO-FOUNDER: Nokia will sell its digital health offering to Eric Carrer, the co-founder of Withings - the company that Nokia bought its health offerings from in 2016, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/02/nokia-to-sell-its-health-division-to-eric-carreel-the-co-founder-of-withings-after-talks-with-nest-and-others/">according</a> to TechCrunch. The segment is a part of Nokia Technologies that includes its line of wearables, connected thermometers, and scales as well as its health app. While Nokia Technologies revenue grew substantially in Q4 2017 - 79% year-over-year (YoY) - the digital health business was a deadweight, dragging down revenue expectations of Nokia Technologies, according to the company's earnings report.<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left"><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-5-trends-shaping-the-future-of-digital-health?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=DH_Briefing&amp;utm_campaign=digital-health-top-5-trends-briefing&amp;utm_term=DH_briefing"></a></div></div>Nokia's exit from the smart health industry doesn't necessarily indicate a full exit from the digital health market. The company's foray into healthcare wearables opened the door to multiple relationships with healthcare companies and provided Nokia with a "new perspective" on the healthcare space, Nokia chief strategy officer Kathrin Buvac said. As we <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-briefing-nokia-rethinks-its-digital-health-business-intelligent-cds-platform-gets-fda-approval-new-ata-ceo-aims-to-expand-telehealth-awareness-2018-2">reported</a> in February, if Nokia opts to stay in healthcare, it'll likely position itself as a business-to-business and licensing company. This has been successful for the company in the telecom and mobile tech space - Nokia <a href="https://www.nokia.com/en_int/news/releases/2018/02/01/nokia-corporation-financial-report-for-q4-and-full-year-2017">reported</a> around $28 billion in revenue in 2017. Within healthcare, Nokia could offer IoT and wireless solutions for hospitals and healthcare systems.CMS CHIEF WANTS HEALTHCARE TO TAKE A PAGE FROM RETAIL'S BOOK: The healthcare industry needs to begin replicating the transparency of the retail industry, US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma said Monday during World Health Care Congress, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/30/cms-verma-says-its-time-health-care-caught-up-to-other-industries.html">according</a> to CNBC. Health systems should start by posting their prices online, before enabling easy consumer access to health records. Verma noted that across many other industries, such as retail and finance, operational transparency was par for the course, however, healthcare lags. The interoperability and transparency of healthcare is a core focus for the CMS. Verma <a href="https://www.digitalhealth.net/2018/03/us-government-health-interoperability-himss18/">announced</a> several new interoperability initiatives in March with the aim of developing a free-flowing healthcare ecosystem that gives patients greater control over their data. For instance, at the conference, the CMS unveiled MyHealthEData, which ensures that patients receive a copy of their entire health record electronically. Meanwhile, healthcare firms are working to improve data interoperability to ensure they're prepared for the reimbursement shift to value-based care from fee-for-service. More than 70% of healthcare financial executives say they must improve data interoperability within the next three years to ensure the success of value-based care, <a href="http://www.hfma.org/ValueBasedPaymentReadiness/">according</a> to a Healthcare Financial Management Association survey.HEALTH SYSTEM DRIVES 2000-TO-1 ROI WITH BIG DATA ANALYTICS PLATFORM: Texas-based University Health System is using big data analytics to target and engage with potential mammogram patients, yielding significant returns, <a href="http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/big-data-helps-health-system-match-patients-providers-needed-services">according</a> to Healthcare IT News. The health system partnered with data management firm Tea Leaves Health, which uses patient-relationship management (PRM) software to identify and contact eligible patients for mammogram screening services. Tea Leaves Health combines patient records with demographic and social media data to provide healthcare organizations with patient profiles that inform healthcare provision and outreach strategies. The platform facilitates patient engagement through targeted ads, e-mail, and traditional mail. Early results of the program resulted in a 2,000-to-1 return on investment for University Health System, reflecting how big data analytics tools can enable organizations to utilize available information on healthcare trends and tap substantial revenue opportunities. Combining the increased use of big data with patient outreach tools provides hospitals with revenue opportunities by increasing the awareness and usage of specialty medical services and avoiding costly urgent care visits by promoting preventative care. Health systems' use of big data is likely to become more common. Seventy-six percent of global healthcare executives plan to accelerate their investments in big data in the next two years, <a href="https://www.sap.com/documents/2017/10/2a16951a-d97c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.html">according</a> to SAP.IN OTHER NEWS:<ul><li>The US National Institute of Health (NIH) <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-announces-national-enrollment-date-all-us-research-program-advance-precision-medicine">unveiled</a> May 6 as the official start date of its All of Us precision medicine research initiative. The project aims to build a national research cohort of 1 million US participants to test the feasibility of a nation-wide precision medicine database.</li><li>Facebook is adding a designated area for its blood donation feature - available in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan - that lets users see donation opportunities nearby, <a href="http://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/facebook-expands-blood-donation-features-india-pakistan-bangladesh-promote-proactive">according</a> to MobiHealthNews. The social media platform allows consumers in these countries to identify themselves as blood donors on Facebook, and receive notifications when there's demand for their blood type.</li><li>The UK's National Health Service (NHS) announced a deal with Microsoft to update existing systems to Windows 10 in a push to tighten security measures, DigitalHealth <a href="https://www.digitalhealth.net/2018/04/nhs-upgrades-windows-10-microsoft-cyber-security/">reports</a>. The measure comes after the WannaCry cyberattack affected one-third of NHS trusts in May 2017.</li><li>US health system Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH) <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/providence-st-joseph-health-showcases-one-of-uss-largest-telehealth-systems-at-ata18-300638225.html">announced</a> Monday the launch of its Virtual Health System - one of the largest telemedicine networks in the US. The new offering aims to deliver several core services to rural and underserved communities by connecting patients with PSJH's 1,500 caregivers.</li></ul>Business Insider Intelligence research associate Nicky Lineaweaver contributed to this briefing.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-5-trends-shaping-the-future-of-digital-health?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=ctgr&amp;utm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_content=digitalhealth_ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_campaign=digitalhealth_ctgr_leadgen_5-trends"></a>

DIGITAL HEALTH BRIEFING: Apple Watch shipments grow by double digits - Nokia settles on buyer for digital health business - Healthcare should mimic retail, CMS says

NEW DELHI: ET’s March 1, 2013 Budget Edition carried a sharp commentary by a man who was then one of India’s many chief ministers. A little over a year later he became India’s <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">prime minister</keyword>. In about a week from now his government will present its first budget. 
	 <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>’s 2013 budget commentary for ET, even granting it was written from the perspective of a CM from the then national opposition party, offers interesting insights into how India’s <keyword id="336585" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="current-PM">current PM</keyword> thinks a good budget should look like. 
	 
	Here’s Modi 2013 analysed for clues to Modi 2014: 
	 
	Don’t Play Safe: “This budget is-…piecemeal…UPA…wants to play safe,” Modi had written in ET. His 2013 commentary had mocked UPA repeatedly for not thinking big. It’s safe to assume Modi in 2014 would want to avoid being tagged as “playing safe”. The ‘I will change things’ politics of his election victory doesn’t allow that option. 
	 
	Find Cash for Infra: “Against the much-needed Rs 55 lakh crore for infrastructure development, the budget attempts to mobilise a meagre Rs 50,000 crore”, Modi had observed in 2013, and built on this theme of neglect of big projects. Finding big money for big projects will define 2014 budget as a Modi budget like little else would. 
	 
	 
	Skill Them Young: “The <keyword id="26374" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="UPA-government">UPA government</keyword> has allocated a mere Rs 1,000 crore for skill development. Contrast that with the Rs 800 crore for just one state, Gujarat, has allocated for skill development”. That 2013 observation by Modi in ET, who also said even rich countries like the US do more to tackle skill shortage, played out throughout his 2013-14 poll campaign and is again a signature Modi theme. Modi wants even plain vanilla welfare scheme NREGA to be retooled into a skills programme. Smart ideas and substantial fiscal backing for skills development can be another Modi imprimatur on Budget 2014. 
	 
	No Fiscal Fudge: Modi wrote in ET, while commenting on UPA’s fiscal deficit targeting, that “without any clear measure to mop up tax revenues and increase (tax) collection efficiency”, deficit targeting will lead to “cuts in development spending”. Many experts said this, too. And they will say it about Modi’s budget even more should it try a fiscal fudge. But Modi’s 2013 ET commentary shows he knows the severe reputational costs of a fudge. Cutting deficits sharply but honestly will make Modi’s 2014 budget stand out clearly from UPA’s last few budgets. 
	 
	Feel Federal: “States have been requesting the Centre to address the issue of deficit of trust…,” Modi had written in the context of critiquing the 2013 budget for what he saw as being insufficiently federal in terms of resource allocation. Many PMs and FMs don’t pay enough attention to federalism issues in Union budgets. But this PM, the first serving CM to get the country’s top job, may have a different approach. GST rollout is critically dependent on statesand Modi has courted some CMs already. His 2014 budget may try and address that ‘trust deficit’.
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	Avoid Gimmicks: “The move to set up the world’s first public sector women’s bank is a mockery…”, Modi had written in ET, rubbishing a proposal <keyword id="43940" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="P-Chidambaram">P Chidambaram</keyword> had claimed was radical. Experts had disagreed with Chidambaram. And that Modi had decided to attack a 2013 budget proposal that had seemed politically correct indicates he may not want his 2014 budget to be critiqued for gimmicky and superficial ideas.

Budget 2014: How PM Narendra Modi's First Budget May Look Like

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Medicare is barred by law from paying for drugs for weight loss such as Ozempic and Wegovy.</li><li>Expanding coverage could be costly, but it could also help Medicare save money over time. </li></ul>Older Americans hoping to get their hands on powerful weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may find it impossible to access them.That's because Medicare, the federal program that provides health coverage for people 65 and older, is strictly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4486408/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibited</a> by a 2003 law from paying for weight-loss medications. Without insurance, the drugs are unaffordable, with price tags that can top more than $1,000 a month. A big push is underway by drugmakers and other groups to get Medicare to pay for the drugs, but the potential high costs to the program are a sticking point.<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMp2300516" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One analysis</a> by Vanderbilt University researchers in March estimated that if just 10% of Medicare beneficiaries were treated with Wegovy, the cost to the program would total $26.8 billion a year and premiums for drug plans would increase.Still, covering the drugs could provide big benefits.Researchers at the University of Southern California wrote in an <a href="https://healthpolicy.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023.04_Medicare-Coverage-for-Obesity-interactive-page-fixed.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April paper</a> that if all eligible Medicare beneficiaries were treated with weight-loss drugs, Medicare could save $176 billion in medical costs over 10 years, driven by fewer hospitalizations, surgeries, doctors' visits, and other medical services. This estimate didn't account for the cost of treatment.Should Medicare cover weight loss medication, it could also unlock access for people who have private coverage."A decision by Medicare to cover weight-loss drugs would put pressure on employers and other private insurers to cover weight-loss drugs too," said Tricia Neuman, a senior vice president at KFF who co-authored a <a href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/what-could-new-anti-obesity-drugs-mean-for-medicare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent brief</a> on the subject.There are three potential strategies that could be used to expand Medicare coverage to weight-loss drugs. Congress could pass a law allowing the program to cover the drugs; the Biden administration could set up a new payment model; and, according to Novo Nordisk, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could side-step the prohibition by reframing how it characterizes anti-obesity treatments.<h2>Congress could pass a law allowing Medicare to cover weight-loss drugs</h2><div type="image" title="ozempic pen" height="911" width="1800" msid="100424550" hostid="261" sizebytes="45984"></div>The most obvious route to Medicare coverage is to pass legislation that would allow Medicare Part D — the prescription drug benefit — to cover drugs used to treat obesity.The leading bill that would do this, called the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Treat and Reduce Obesity Act</a>, has been stuck in Congress for more than a decade. It was last <a href="https://www.carper.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/carper-cassidy-reintroduce-bill-to-combat-obesity-with-medicare-funded-treatment-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> in 2021 and hasn't been reintroduced in the current Congress.Still, some champions of the bill are optimistic about its chances, as support for the legislation has grown over the years, reaching 176 co-sponsors. Drugmakers, including Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, as well as other healthcare companies and patient advocacy groups are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/weight-loss-drugmakers-lobby-for-medicare-coverage-69188697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lobbying</a> for Congress to take action.<h2>The Biden administration could create a new innovation program</h2><div type="image" title="Biden" height="683" width="910" msid="100424551" hostid="261" sizebytes="28974"></div>If Congress doesn't act, the Biden administration could give people with Medicare access to weight-loss drugs by testing a new payment model, according to the <a href="https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/what-could-new-anti-obesity-drugs-mean-for-medicare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brief</a> published May 18 by KFF.The administration has authority under the Affordable Care Act to experiment with new ways of paying for healthcare — and waive certain Medicare rules — through the CMS' Innovation Center. It also can pilot new models through Section 402 of the Social Security Amendments of 1967, according to <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/moving-the-needle-on-prescription-drug-costs-using-the-innovation-center-and-other-demonstration-authority/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KFF</a>.In recent years, the federal government has used these pathways to lower prescription drug costs, KFF said.For instance, the Trump administration used the Innovation Center to <a href="https://innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/part-d-savings-model" target="_blank" rel="noopener">test</a> capping out-of-pocket costs for insulin for those in participating Medicare drug plans, for example. The Biden administration used its authority under Section 402 to <a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/over-counter-covid-19-test-demonstration.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allow</a> Medicare beneficiaries to get up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests per month at no cost.<h2>Medicare could redefine anti-obesity medications, according to Novo Nordisk</h2><div type="image" title="assembly line of ozempic pens" height="1425" width="2100" msid="100424552" hostid="261" sizebytes="108448"></div>Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, has argued that there's another route to expanding Medicare coverage.In a letter to CMS in February, Novo Nordisk said the federal law barring Medicare from paying for "agents when used for anorexia, weight loss, or weight gain" doesn't apply to the latest anti-obesity medications because they do more than help people lose weight. These medications are more comprehensive treatments that also have some cardiometabolic benefits, such as improved blood sugar levels, according to the letter.Novo Nordisk said CMS has authority to recognize that anti-obesity medications "are not 'agents for weight loss,' but rather clinically recommended treatments for a chronic disease — obesity, and may therefore be covered under Part D."

Medicare is prohibited from paying for weight-loss drugs. These are the 3 potential ways to change that.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The FDA just approved a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease from Eisai and Biogen. </li><li>In a large study, the drug slowed the rate of cognitive decline in patients by 27%.</li></ul>The US Food and Drug Administration <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-grants-accelerated-approval-alzheimers-disease-treatment">approved a new drug for Alzheimer's disease</a> — a key step forward in treating the disease.Lecanemab, developed by the Cambridge-based biotech company Biogen and the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai, is the latest promising treatment for the debilitating disease. The FDA granted <a href="https://www.fda.gov/patients/fast-track-breakthrough-therapy-accelerated-approval-priority-review/accelerated-approval" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an accelerated approval</a> of the drug, meaning the companies will have to conduct additional follow-up studies.The drug will be sold under the brand name Leqembi and carries a price tag of about $26,500 per year."Alzheimer's disease immeasurably incapacitates the lives of those who suffer from it and has devastating effects on their loved ones," Billy Dunn, director of the Office of Neuroscience in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement on Friday. "This treatment option is the latest therapy to target and affect the underlying disease process of Alzheimer's, instead of only treating the symptoms of the disease."Ivan Cheung, CEO of Eisai's US unit, told Insider on Thursday that the company plans to request full approval from the FDA immediately. If the drug gets a priority review, Leqembi could receive full approval in six months' time. In November, the two companies released <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biogen-eisai-phase-3-study-alzheimers-analysts-amyloid-hypothesis-2022-8">long-awaited late-stage-study results</a> that showed the drug helped to slow the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in Alzheimer's patients over the course of 18 months. The drug is intended to treat people in the early stages of the disease.In trials, side effects included brain swelling in about 13% of patients and infusion-site reactions. The agency's approval comes after a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alzheimers-drug-aduhelm-had-one-of-worst-launches-in-history-2021-12">long string of failures</a> to bring about new treatments for the disease, which affects roughly <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet">6.5 million Americans and has no cure</a>. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biogen-stock-alzheimers-drug-eisai-win-for-itself-and-rivals-2022-9">Analysts predict</a> that the drug could be a blockbuster moneymaker for Biogen and Eisai.Analysts from Cowen said in a September 2022 note that Leqembi could take over roughly 11% of the Alzheimer's disease market three years after its launch, which would drive $4.3 billion in US sales alone. Globally, the drug could bring in $8 billion annually, RBC Capital Markets predicted.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/biib-stock">Biogen's stock rose 3.5%</a> and Eisai's stock climbed 3.5%.<h2>How the drug works to treat Alzheimer's </h2>The science behind the drug rests upon the amyloid hypothesis, a controversial <a href="https://www.alz.org/documents/national/topicsheet_betaamyloid.pdf">decades-old theory</a> that posits the accumulation of beta-amyloid, or proteins also called Aβ clumps, in the brain could be responsible for Alzheimer's disease. These clumps build up in the brain and are thought to eventually kill brain cells, leading to the progression of the disease.But while Leqembi seems to have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biogen-eisai-phase-3-study-alzheimers-analysts-amyloid-hypothesis-2022-8">modest beneficial effects</a>, other companies that have relied on this theory to develop drugs for Alzheimer's disease — including <a href="https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/lilly-astrazeneca-pull-the-plug-on-alzheimers-trials/525506/">Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca</a>, <a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer_announces_co_primary_clinical_endpoints_not_met_in_second_phase_3_bapineuzumab_study_in_mild_to_moderate_alzheimer_s_disease_patients_who_do_not_carry_the_apoe4_genotype">Pfizer</a>, and <a href="https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2019-01-30">Roche</a> — have faced a series of clinical-trial failures.Some biotech companies, such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biotechs-lexeo-shape-discuss-gene-therapies-for-alzheimers-disease-2022-1">Lexeo Therapeutics and Shape Therapeutics</a>, have turned away from the amyloid-beta hypothesis entirely and are instead working to develop gene therapies to treat Alzheimer's. But Biogen and Eisai's successful approval may <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biogen-stock-alzheimers-drug-eisai-win-for-itself-and-rivals-2022-9">convince skeptics that the amyloid-beta hypothesis still has merit.</a>Leqembi is delivered through an IV every two weeks in a clinic. A spokesperson for Eisai told Insider that while it is conducting additional studies to evaluate how long the treatment should be taken, it believes that Leqembi will likely be administered past 18 months but can be discontinued if the patient has progressed past the early stages of Alzheimer's.<h2>While the drug has been approved, questions about cost remain </h2>While Leqembi has been approved by the FDA, the drug will have to face other key hurdles before it becomes widely available to patients.Aduhelm, an Alzheimer's drug also developed by Biogen and Eisai and approved by the FDA in 2021, failed to garner support from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, even after it was approved by the FDA. As a result, Aduhelm flopped commercially and CMS only covers Aduhelm for <a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-finalizes-medicare-coverage-policy-monoclonal-antibodies-directed-against-amyloid-treatment">patients in clinical trials</a>.A recent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biogens-alzheimers-drug-aduhlem-congressional-investigation-takeaways-2022-12">congressional investigation also found</a> that Biogen knew that the drug's high price tag would make the medication more inaccessible to patients and strain the country's Medicare budget. While Leqembi has shown clearer data that it works in patients, it may face similar challenges in gaining coverage.Leqembi will be commercially available this month, but the vast majority of patients who may benefit from the drug in the US won't be able to access the treatment until CMS decides to reverse its policy on covering Alzheimer's drugs <a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-finalizes-medicare-coverage-policy-monoclonal-antibodies-directed-against-amyloid-treatment">that target the amyloid-beta hypothesis.</a>Cheung said that in talks with CMS, the agency has made it clear that it needs full traditional approval from the FDA to consider lifting its current restrictions. He added that the company would request that CMS review its late stage data in parallel with the FDA review in order to gain CMS coverage as soon as possible. "Hopefully before the end of this year, we could have broader access from CMS to lecanemab," he said. Marc Goodman, an SVB Securities analyst, said in a December 18 note that there is "considerable nervousness with respect to CMS reimbursement that remains an overhang." Despite this, he expects 2023 to be "a transformative year for Alzheimer's." Goodman predicts Leqembi will receive full approval in the second half of the year, and that CMS may update its policy for covering Alzheimer's drugs based on the amyloid hypothesis in late 2023.This article was updated with the price of Leqembi.

The FDA just approved a new Alzheimer's drug that's set to be a blockbuster

How Putin's Russian goon squad used Mexican gig workers to troll an American election

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The digital-therapeutics pioneer Pear was sold for parts in an auction on May 18 for $6 million.</li><li>Companies like Pear and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/akili-stock-key-takeaways-from-risky-spac-exit-2022-8">Akili</a> have struggled to get payers and providers on board with their tech.</li></ul>A group of healthcare companies has spent the past decade building new technologies to treat patients with prescription software, creating an industry worth <a href="https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-prescription-digital-therapeutics-dtx-market">$3.9 billion</a> and growing fast.But the industry's pioneers have stumbled, raising questions about the future of the nascent market — including which companies will make it to the other side.In 2017, Pear Therapeutics became the first company to receive clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for a prescription digital therapeutic, with its app to <a href="https://peartherapeutics.com/fda-obtains-fda-clearance-first-prescription-digital-therapeutic-treat-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">treat substance-use disorders</a>. But Pear shocked the digital-therapeutics industry in April when it <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2023/04/07/pear-therapeutics-bankruptcy-stock-sale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed for bankruptcy</a>.The company, which went public in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-therapeutics-company-pear-to-go-public-in-16-billion-spac-ipo-2021-6">$1.6 billion SPAC deal</a> in December 2021, auctioned off its assets on May 18 for <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2023/05/19/pear-therapeutics-auction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$6 million</a>.It's not the only digital-therapeutics company feeling the pressure of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-health-startups-decline-investor-funding-2023-1">tumbling healthcare market</a>. The stock price of Akili, which makes a video game to treat ADHD in children, has plummeted more than 86% since the company <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/akili-stock-key-takeaways-from-risky-spac-exit-2022-8">went public</a> in August.The company's losses deepened in the first quarter of 2023 as Akili posted a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230511005170/en/Akili-Reports-First-Quarter-2023-Financial-Results-and-Provides-Business-Update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$20.7 million loss</a>, compared to a $16.8 million loss in the previous quarter. Akili and Pear didn't respond to requests for comment for this story.With digital therapeutics' trailblazers in jeopardy, experts think more failures are on the horizon.After years of slow progress to get the clinicians who prescribe medications and the insurers that pay for the treatments on board with the new technologies, the remaining digital-therapeutics companies will have to stick it out and play by the industry's rules for a chance of survival in the tumultuous market. "In healthcare, innovation often happens faster than all stakeholders are ready for," Jeffrey Abraham, a healthtech consultant and former Akili executive, said. "These companies need to have the runway to go a little bit longer."<h2>Covering digital therapeutics hasn't been easy</h2>Insurers, the ultimate gatekeepers in healthcare, have been slow to warm to the idea of reimbursing prescription digital therapeutics. When Pear filed for bankruptcy, its former CEO suggested <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=582e5fc6199c37d2e763b7465fce71496f66bed2f1a1a6ea8c5c04652db83c21&amp;postID=64667aa4227be770c7437952&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Ffeed%2Fupdate%2Furn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7050137359002038272%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a LinkedIn post</a> that some health plans had refused to pay for Pear's therapies.Covering a digital therapeutic is different from covering a medical device or pharmaceutical drug because a digital therapeutic typically consists of just software, like an app on the patient's phone, to treat their condition. And insurers are looking for a wealth of data to support the use of the technologies, consistent with the data they're used to when drugs are approved by the FDA, said Rick Bartels, a managing partner at Digital Therapeutics Commercialization Consultants."They're going to need real-world evidence, health economic evidence, to show their therapy is at least as good as current therapies or can deliver cost savings," Bartels said. "That's going to command everything."Digital-therapeutics companies will have to start establishing more pilot programs with insurers to collect that real-world data, Bartels said.But getting that kind of evidence can take years. Digital-therapeutics companies will have to go one by one to each insurer and carry out yearlong pilots before the health plan considers broad reimbursement.<div type="image" title="Corey McCann" height="3837" width="5115" msid="100820274" hostid="261"></div><h2>Doctors are reluctant to prescribe</h2>Not all digital therapeutics require prescriptions. But those that do are more highly regulated — including the technologies created by the likes of Akili and Pear — and require companies to convince doctors to prescribe the therapies to patients.It's no easy feat. Even if the companies can demonstrate their therapies are uniquely effective at treating a given condition, doctors can hardly guarantee the therapeutics will get covered without billing codes.Plus, most digital therapeutics don't integrate with electronic-health-records systems, making it difficult for clinicians to track their patients' progress.In March, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/appliedvr-becomes-first-virtual-reality-provider-to-receive-hcpcs-level-ii-code-from-centers-for-medicare-and-medicaid-services-as-durable-medical-equipment-301773521.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted a code</a> to the digital-therapeutics company AppliedVR for its virtual-reality therapy for chronic pain. It's the first time the agency has given that designation to a digital-therapeutics company. According to AppliedVR CEO Matthew Stoudt, that decision was enabled, at least in part, by the fact that AppliedVR uses a combination of software and hardware, with a headset so patients can view its virtual-reality program."It makes all the difference in the world," Stoudt told Insider of the CMS decision. "Now that we have a category, it's not a question of if we get reimbursement, it's a question of when."Senators <a href="https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/shaheen-capito-reintroduce-bipartisan-access-to-prescription-digital-therapeutics-act#:~:text=The%20Access%20to%20Prescription%20Digital,designed%20to%20directly%20treat%20disease." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> a bill in March that would guarantee Medicare reimbursement for prescription digital therapeutics. It's unclear how long it could take for the bill to pass, if it does — but the expectation is that if CMS creates a category for digital therapeutics, commercial insurers will follow suit.<h2><div type="image" title="AppliedVR CEO and cofounder Matthew Stoudt" height="4350" width="5800" msid="100820275" hostid="261"></div></h2><h2>Buying time</h2>Many companies will have to adjust their strategies to extend their cash runway in a tough funding environment, Stoudt said.Digital-therapeutics companies could begin integrating their products with other services, like telehealth, that they can guarantee will be covered by insurance.Those companies could also seek out partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, which may leverage digital therapeutics as an accompaniment for their own drugs that treat the same conditions, Bartels said.Stoudt and Bartels predicted <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-healthcare-bankers-and-dealmakers-future-of-digital-health-2023-5">more mergers and acquisitions</a> to come for the digital-therapeutics industry. Medtech giants may be keener than pharmaceutical companies on such an acquisition because of the similarities in digital therapeutics and medical devices, Bartels said."If the strategy is, we're going to try this one thing, and if that doesn't work, we'll just wait — that's just not feasible to survive," Abraham said.Want to tell us about your experience with digital therapeutics? Contact Rebecca Torrence at <a href="mailto:rtorrence@insider.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">rtorrence@insider.com</a> or through secure messaging app Signal at +1 423-987-0320.

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