The Virtual Doctor Will See You Now

A law that eases restrictions in the way telemedicine is delivered in Arkansas goes into effect in August and will help Arkansas hospitals expand their range of virtual services. The law will allow patients to receive telemedicine services wherever they happen to be, rather than having to visit a health care facility.  Making the patient travel to a health care office was "a pretty onerous burden," said Adam Greathouse, a health policy expert at the ERISA Industry Committee of Washington, a national association that advocates for large employers on health policies. "That's like having to go to an internet cafe in order to check your email."  The Arkansas Legislature earlier this year amended the state's telemedicine law governing the way virtual care is delivered. Its rules had been considered among the most restrictive in the country.  Greathouse said the amendment is a positive step, but "there's always room for improvement." Telemedicine is gaining momentum as a diagnostic and tracking tool for providers and especially patients, said Paul Cunningham, executive vice president of the Arkansas Hospital Association. "If they can see a doctor virtually from their home rather than driving 30, 40, 50 miles, [it's] certainly helpful there," he said.  The amended law also requires that, starting Jan. 1, health benefit plans reimburse for telemedicine services as if the patient were seen in person. The earlier version of the law required only that the telemedicin...
Source: Arkansas Business - Health Care - Category: American Health Source Type: news