Johns Hopkins Medicine is joining a national trend this month when it begins charging a fee to send some messages through its online patient portal, MyChart, much like it does for in-person or telehealth visits, according to a memo to staff obtained by The Baltimore Banner.

Primary care physicians saw their compensation rise faster than other medical and surgical specialties in 2022, as significant E/M coding changes enacted by the CMS kicked into gear and volume stabilized coming out of the pandemic.

Permanently expanding telemedicine access hasbroad bipartisan supportin Congress. A number of bills have been introduced to codify more telehealth protections after COVID-19, including CONNECT, which is considered the most comprehensive virtual care legislation by advocacy groups.

Health spending over the next decade is expected to grow more rapidly than the overall economy — consistent with past trends — though spending patterns will be greatly influenced by the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to new estimates released Wednesday by government actuaries.

By 2031, about $1 of every $5 spent in the U.S. will be on healthcare.

TheMaking Care Primary Model will focus on primary care organizations with limited experience in alternative payment models to help set up the infrastructure, particularly safety net and smaller or independent primary care organizations, CMS officials said in a press release.