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The California State Rural Health Association has been working closely with the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP - http://www.connectedhealthca.org/ ) to examine and make recommendations how to remove barriers that prevent telehealth from being fully utilized in California.
The Center hosted a telehealth workgroup of experts, including rural healthcare experts, to identify barriers that may exist in California that prevent telehealth from being fully utilized to increase healthcare access, quality and cost savings.
Assembly Member Dan Logue from Northern California has picked up four of the recommendations from the Center’s Telehealth Model Statute Report, and has introduced them into legislation as Assembly Bill (AB) 415. The bill is being heard in Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday, May 3, 2011.
It is important that the author and Assembly Committee hear from rural healthcare providers that are knowledgeable about telehealth.
If you are interested in sending a letter about the bill you should address your letter to Assembly Member Dan Logue, State Capitol, Room 4158, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814, however, since the deadline to submit these letters is Wednesday, April 27, 2011 by 12noon, please fax the letters to the following two locations:
- Assembly Health Committee, Attn: Assembly Member Monning & Teri Boughton, Fax 916- 319-2197
- Assembly Member Dan Logue’s Capitol Office, Fax number 916-319-2103.
Below is an excerpt from the author’s fact sheet on the bill AB 415. To view the bill language as of March 31, 2011, please click here.
AB 415
Telehealth Advancement Act of 2011
Purpose
This bill would remove barriers in current law and update to current practice the use of telehealth in the delivery of health care, while maintaining the original legislative intent of California’s ground breaking Telemedicine Development Act of 1996.
Specifically, AB 415:
- Replaces and updates outdated terminology of “telemedicine” term with “telehealth,” to reflect the term of art used in healthcare, acknowledges the broader range of services and applications of telehealth technology, and applies the definition to all appropriately licensed health professionals.
- Streamlines the process and removes duplicative procedures, such as:
- Removes the need for an additional patient informed consent form, which has been made unnecessary by the passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), and offers no extra protections for a patient beyond what is in current state and federal laws and practice.
- Removes out-dated and unnecessary requirements in Medi-Cal to document a barrier to an in-person visit before one can receive telehealth services.
- Removes the twice extended sunset date in Medi-Cal on store and forward reimbursement for teledermatology, teleopthalmalogy and teleoptometry, making it permanent.
- Recognizes changes in technology & health care advances, such as:
- Includes asynchronous (i.e. referring to not taking place at the same time such as storing patient information and forwarding it to a specialist for review) application of technologies.
- Eliminates restrictions on, but does not require, reimbursement of services provided via email or telephone.
- Eliminates restrictions on the type of settings where health services may be provided.
What AB 415 does not do:
- Does not change the scope of practice of any licensed health professional.
- Does not change interstate licensure laws.
- Does not change or dictate agreements between health plans and providers. Health plans/insurers and providers retain the ability to make decisions regarding appropriate utilization controls and procedures.
- Does not replace the health care provider with technology; rather it preserves and enhances the provider-patient relationship and enables health care professionals to make use of available technology to better serve their patients.
If you have questions about telehealth in California or the model statute recommendations you can reach Mei Kwong at CCHP mei.kwong@connectedhealthca.org or Steve Barrow at 916-453-0780 or by email at sbarrow@csrha.org, if we cannot answer your question, we will connect you to a person who can.
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555 Capitol Mall, Ste 750, Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: (916) 453-0780| Fax: (916) 453-0783
E-mail: advocate@csrha.org |
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