The intent of this bill is to expand the use of telehealth under the TRICARE program in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. If passed, HR 2725 would stipulate that TRICARE, the health care program serving Uniformed Service members, retirees and their families, may provide and must reimburse certain beneficiaries for services furnished via a telecommunications system.
The intent of HR 2066, Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2015, is to promote and expand telehealth application under Medicare and other health care programs.
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.
