Jonathan D. Linkous, CEO of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) www.americantelemed.org appeared on Capitol Hill before the Senate “Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet” www.commerce.senate.gov to talk about expanding the benefits of telemedicine nationwide through connectivity.
As Linkous reports, “The use of telemedicine has recently skyrocketed:
- This year, over 125,000 patients who suffered stroke symptoms will be diagnosed by a neurologist in an emergency room using a tele-stroke network
- Tele-ICU has been used for eleven percent of the nation’s intensive care beds to oversee 500,000 critically ill patients this year
- Almost one million patients with an implantable pacemaker or suffering from an arrhythmia are now being remotely monitored
- New mobile devices are developed and announced every day
Reform and progress to move the field forward is needed in several areas, so Linkous focused on specific actions that the Subcommittee as well as members of other Committees should undertake.
He talked about the lack of broadband access for rural healthcare facilities. In 1996, when the Telecommunications Reform Act was passed, the FCC estimated that upward of $400 million would be available annually to support broadband connectivity for rural healthcare.
Almost 20 years later, the FCC has failed to provide even half of that amount. Although, the FCC has developed the Healthcare Connect program, this program is obligating a relatively small allocation of universal services funds.
ATA urges approval of two small but important legislative changes in to the “Telehealth Enhancement Act” to be reintroduced by Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker and Senator Thad Cochran both from Mississippi.
The changes would update the list of eligible providers to receive discounted broadband rates and specify that healthcare provider access to advanced telecommunications and information be considered based on need rather than geographic location.
Linkous pointed out that many state governments have been very active assuring that health benefit coverage for telehealth provided services be at least on par with in-person services for privately insured, Medicaid recipients, and state employees.
Also, while the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs are leaders in using telehealth, other federal health benefit programs, such as Medicare, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), and TRICARE are lagging behind.
Linkous discussed the need for Congress to direct or facilitate the development of new telehealth networks and to continue supporting the relatively small federal grant programs for telehealth networks. He also wants to see not only the numerous federally-funded networks for medical research but also networks for medical treatments.
ATA also recommends establishing a White House-led interagency committee to streamline the federal agencies and efforts in the field of telemedicine.
Go to www.americantelemed.org/docs/default-source/policy/ata-4-scommerce-042115-(2).pdf for the Jonathan Linkous transcript presented at the hearing.