SB 570 and HR 1055 would expand dental coverage for the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as through the Affordable Care Act and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Telehealth is mentioned or alluded to in several sections of the bill as a tool to deliver care to traditionally underserved populations.
On Dec. 29, 2014 New York State’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed landmark telehealth legislation (SB 7852) regarding coverage of certain telemedicine and telehealth services by private insurance plans and the state’s Medicaid program. Accompanying the bill, the Governor included Approval Memo 35, making his approval contingent on a chapter amendment to address several concerns he had with the bill, including its effective date and that the bill’s language may obligate insurers to provide coverage for services via telehealth, even when those services are not covered under the patient’s existing contract or policies.
Rep. Matsui (D-CA)’s HR 691 would establish a federal standard for telehealth and serve as guidance for states, subject to a number of specified conditions.
In collaboration with UC Davis Health System, Providence TrinityCare Hospice, and Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition, CCHP explored how telehealth can improve pediatric palliative care by examining telehealth’s potential to bridge home nursing and hospice care gaps for children.
Spurred by the slow adoption of technology-enabled health care, CCHP spearheaded a comprehensive effort to highlight telehealth’s value in achieving the Triple Aim goals of health reform.
