A bill recently introduced in the House of Representatives would allow certain Medicare providers to provide telehealth services across state lines without obtaining multiple state licenses.
The Telemedicine for Medicare Act, introduced by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), states:
"In the case of a Medicare participating physician or practitioner who is licensed or otherwise legally authorized to provide a healthcare service in a State, such physician or practitioner may provide such a service as a telemedicine service to a Medicare beneficiary who is in a different State, and any requirement that such physician or practitioner obtain a comparable license or other comparable legal authorization from such different State with respect to the provision of such healthcare service by such physician or practitioner to such beneficiary shall not apply."
The bill has been applauded by the American Telemedicine Association and the Health IT Now Coalition.
"This bill updates the law to account for rapid technological advances in medicine," said Rep. Nunes, according to the Health IT Now Coalition release. "By reducing bureaucratic and legal barriers between Medicare patients and their doctors, it expands medical access and choice for America's seniors and the disabled."
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