Category: Health News

Vault, a P.C.R. test, offers an at-home test kit for travel from Jamaica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic to the United States. The kits cost $119 and include a video session with a qualified professional; there are drop-off points for samples across these countries’ major cities, with results of the P.C.R. test returned 12 to 48 hours after being received by the lab.

Antigen tests, rapid tests that can be processed within minutes, like an at-home pregnancy test, are cheaper but less reliable than P.C.R. tests, which are handled by a laboratory and include amplifying the virus’s genetic material many times, allowing it to detect even small traces of the virus. Both are accepted for travel to the United States, but some countries require a P.C.R. test for entry.

Ms. Decter said that BinaxNOW is “very cost-effective,” adding that Embark Beyond purchased the kits in bulk for its clients, many of whom use it for their return trips back to the United States. The tests, which clients can get shipped to their home or pick up at a local Walgreens, can be packed in a suitcase and self-administered with the supervision of a lab technician, over video chat.

Because

In an age where consumers are becoming more aware of what they’re applying to their bodies and what they put in them, many are eschewing products that contain a long list of chemicals that can potentially cause harm. Preservatives, artificial colorings, fragrances, and stabilizers can all have a negative effect on your body and the environment as well. 

Parabens are commonly used as preservatives in personal care products, yet numerous studies have found that they can harm fertility and reproductive organs, disrupt hormones, and increase the risk of cancer. You can avoid them altogether by using natural ingredients instead. Many are just as effective or even more so than their chemical alternatives. 

Manuka honey

Manuka honey isn’t like processed honey often found in a bear-shaped bottle, filtered, heated, or pasteurized to give it that syrupy, golden look while also killing the beneficial nutrients. While all unheated, raw honey has some health benefits, manuka, in particular, has been shown to be the most impressive in multiple studies with active compounds that can play a key role in supporting the health and appearance of the skin.

Its humectant, moisturizing properties make it great for soothing dry skin, yet its potent anti-inflammatory properties

Digital health firm Babylon has secured a sustainability-linked investment of up to $200 million (€173M) from the strategic capital investment firm, Albacore Capital Group.

Together with already committed PIPE capital of $230 million (€199M) from institutional and strategic investors, Babylon will now have access to around $775 million (€671M) of capital (before fees). 

In June Babylon announced plans to go public through a $4.2 billion (€3.6bn) merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Alkuri Global Acquisition Corp. This will provide up to $575 million (€498M) in gross proceeds to Babylon, including $230 million (€199M) private placement from investors such as AMF Pensionsförsäkring and Palantir Technologies.

AlbaCore has improved the investment, subject only to completion of the merger transaction, which is expected shortly after the shareholder meeting on 20 October. 

Once the merger is closed, the new company will become Babylon Holdings Limited and will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BBLN.

WHAT IT DOES

Babylon provides integrated, personalised healthcare through its digital-first platform combined with virtual clinical appointments. 

Founded in 2013, Babylon started as a digital symptom-triage checker before launching its NHS-backed service GP at Hand, service which includes digital triage, online video

State licensure and differing regulations on privacy, licensure and other questions have always been a barrier to virtual-care models that seek to care for anyone with an Internet connection. Which of those hurdles have been overcome and which still remain? And how did COVID-19 and its associated waivers affect this complex issue?

On this episode of HIMSSCast, a tie-in to our Virtual Care Paradigm series, host Jonah Comstock welcomes Heather Alleva, an associate at Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney specializing in healthcare law, to get a rundown on some of these issues, including some little-known practice restrictions. If you’re thinking about starting a multistate virtual care business, be sure to give this one a listen.

Like what you hear? Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play!

 

Talking points:

• How COVID affected licensure laws, and what’s happening to them now.
• How different state laws affect telehealth reimbursement.
• How reimbursement affects adoption and investment.
• Pros and cons of payment parity.
• Telehealth licensure compacts and where they are today.
• Limits and levers of federal government power.
• How the government can lead by example.
• How restrictions can hinder telehealth innovation.
• Privacy and security legislative barriers.
• The corporate practice of medicine

Digital health is quickly evolving and emerging onto the main stage of healthcare. The last two years have seen an unprecedented amount of venture dollars pouring into the space. Today we are also seeing virtual care companies exit and enter onto the public markets, either through an IPO or a SPAC merger. 

Over the years, Peter Micca, a partner and National Health Tech Leader at Deloitte, has had a first-hand look at many of the changes in digital health and published numerous reports on the industry. Micca sat down with MobiHealthNews to talk about SPAC, COVID-19 and the future of value-based care. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

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MobiHealthNews: I’d like to talk a little bit about the investors, and start with SPACs. I know you’ve written about that, and we’re just seeing tons of them in digital health. What’s going on there? Why are companies choosing to go that route? And are you seeing mostly smaller companies going that route, or is it sort of a broad swath of companies doing that?

Micca: SPACs are just another form of finance. And if you’re an emerging growth company, and you need growth capital or growth equity,