A new bill that aims to provide additional incentives for accountable care organization successes includes several provisions that would allow ACOs to expand their telemedicine efforts.
Under the bill, ACOs would not be limited by many originating care site restrictions and would be permitted to use store-and-forward telemedicine. The bill would also permit ACOs to engage in remote patient monitoring to better track high-risk patients.
The bill's sponsors, Diane Black (R-Tenn.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) hope the bill will encourage ACOs and help facilitate the transition to value-based reimbursement. "It is unfortunate that the current fee-for-service payment system does little to encourage and incentivize providers and patients to use the most appropriate and effective healthcare options," said Rep. Black. "By incentivizing providers to focus on improving healthcare outcomes instead of increasing the quantity of services provided, this legislation will help improve care coordination, increase efficiency and mostly importantly, ensure the patient receives the best care possible."
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