Representative Scott Peters from California has introduced the “Health Savings Through Technology Act” (H.R 3577) to advocate for a smarter way to deliver healthcare in the U.S. by increasing the use of wireless technologies.
The Act would create a commission to inventory existing data and examine the cost-savings that could be achieved if the use of wireless health technologies is increased. It would then be possible to develop a comprehensive strategy for integrating these technologies into federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid that often serve the mobility-impaired and elderly.
In another legislative move, California representatives Mike Thompson and Scott Peters, Gregg Harper from Mississippi, and Peter Welch from Vermont recently introduced the “21st Century Care for Military & Veterans Act” (H.R 3507). The bipartisan bill would expand coverage of telehealth services to active duty service members, their dependents, retirees, and veterans.
The bill would also establish and expand reimbursement policies covering the use of telehealth services, including essential mental health monitoring under TRICARE and the VA. The bill would leverage innovative technologies already in use today such as audio and video conferencing, smart devices, and remote monitoring.
The VA has already seen both clinical and cost saving benefits through telehealth technologies, including a 40 percent reduction in bed days and an 87 percent reduction in annual per patient cost when compared to existing home-based care programs.
For more information, go to www.thomas.gov.