Rural maternity care remains under pressure, with closures in Colorado and research showing mixed effects of hospital mergers on obstetrics services. At the same time, momentum continues for digital health: the AMA details how CPT codes evolve to support innovation, policymakers signal stronger support for RPM, and experts stress the need for compliance as RPM adoption grows. Plus, ACOG weighs in on the ethical considerations of telehealth in obstetrics, reinforcing its growing role in maternal care.
9/26, Medscape: Remote Patient Monitoring: How to Stay on the Right Side of Oversight
As remote patient monitoring grows, clinicians must navigate increased oversight, with experts emphasizing the importance of strong documentation showing RPM is integrated into care, proof of medical necessity, and adherence to compliance rules.
9/25, Healthcare Finance: M&A for rural hospitals has mixed outcomes for maternity care
New research shows that five years after being acquired, rural hospitals were 30% less likely to offer obstetrics services. However, in hospitals that kept OB wards, services and outcomes appeared to improve.
9/25, CBS News: Colorado emergency room, maternity units close as hospitals statewide hemorrhage money
Half of rural Colorado is now considered a maternity care desert as obstetrics wards close across the state. Seventy-five percent of rural and urban hospitals are operating under unsustainable margins, driven in part by burdensome and costly reporting mandates.
9/22, Healthcare IT News: Government support for RPM is having an impact on healthcare
Carve outs for digital health in the Budget Reconciliation Bill could accelerate the use of remote patient monitoring.
9/17, AMA: How the CPT code set evolves to support digital health innovation
The CPT code set adapts over time to facilitate and reflect digital health advances, not just in billing but also in enabling measurement, data interoperability, and new care and payment models.
October 2025, ACOG: Ethical Considerations With Telehealth in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Committee opinion from ACOG highlights the relevance of telehealth in supporting maternity care and the responsibility of care providers to adopt or deploy it.
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