After repeatedly failing to pass a law to formalise payments for telehealth, Florida State [grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Florida-House-of-Representattives.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]legislature is to try again this year, according to Florida state senator Aaron Bean. Moderating the Telemedicine and Telehealth session at the Florida Health Care Affordability Summit on Monday, 8 February, Sen. Bean has suggested that the latest bill, highly focused on telehealth, will be only 3 pages long. Attempts to legislate in in the previous session of the Florida House of Representatives resulted in failed bills in both chambers due to the inclusion of many controversial items.
Legislation is needed to enable telehealth costs to be recovered from private insurance or Medicaid as has happened in majority of the states. As the Sun Sentinel noted, “insurance companies aren’t required to reimburse health care providers for telehealth services, and doctors want tight control to prevent anyone with a webcam and a laptop to pass themselves off as a licensed physician.”
The approach of having a pared down bill was welcomed by Florida TaxWatch’s Tamara Demko who is quoted as saying “limiting the scope of legislation to things that are realistic and palatable will help avoid the same fate this legislative session”. Now the problem may be that the proposed bill has too little detail in it to be effective.
Most Recent Comments