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New Report on Emergency Communications Just Released
February 18, 2008
A federal government report, just released by Congress, makes a series of recommendations about improving communications between emergency responders and health facilities. Included in the recommendations are a number of suggestions for the increased use of telemedicine and improved linkages between public health, medicine and emergency responders. The report was prepared by a bipartisan Joint Advisory Committee, established by Congress as a result of the 9-11 Commission. It was delivered last week to leaders of the House and Senate for their consideration.
ATA Executive Director Jonathan Linkous served as chair of the Public Health Group within the Committee. Several other ATA members also served on the Committee.
A news release from the House Commerce Committee is available here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110nr207.shtml.
The full report is available here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/JAC.Report_FINAL%20Jan.3.2008.pdf. |
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FCC Approves ATA's Request to Extend "Grandfathered " Sites
14 February 2008
Today the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a petition filed by the American Telemedicine Association and have agreed to extend, for three years, eligibility for certain health care providers receiving financial support under the Rural Health Program who lost their eligibility when the FCC changed its definition of “rural.” Details of the order are available under http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-47A1.pdf.
ATA filed a "Petition for Reconsideration" in March 2005, right after the FCC changed its definition of rural. The changed definition resulted in approximately 200 sites losing their eligibility under the program. ATA asked for a permanent exemption for the sites. |
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Telemedicine Patent Issue Update
February 29, 2008 - ATA Calls for Telemedicine Patent to be Re-Examined
ATA sent a letter to the U.S. Patent Office regarding the controversy stemming from the issuance of a patent on a hub and spoke telemedicine method. In the letter, ATA Executive Director Jonathan D. Linkous says ATA believes the patent has been issued in error and calls on the Patent Office to re-examine the patent in light of the many examples of telemedicine networks in operation prior to the date of the patent. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office decided in February to pull its issuance of a similar patent in Canada and is re-examining the issue. Linkous says that ATA was stunned the patent was issued and expresses concern that the patent may have a chilling effect on the practice of telemedicine. For a copy of the letter, click here.
December 14, 2007
A number of ATA members, based in the United States, have received letters from a lawyer representing Houston-based Emtel, Inc., a company that has apparently taken out a patent on certain processes that seem to include some telemedicine practices. In response to numerous requests, ATA has consulted with our attorney and is working with the Center for Telehealth and E-Health Law (CTeL) to offer information to members.
Upon request, a letter has been sent to ATA and CTeL from Drinker Biddle & Reath offering advice about how to respond if you have received a letter about this patent. You can review this letter by clicking here.
In addition, ATA and CTeL jointly sponsored a discussion about this issue with the attorney at Drinker Biddle & Reath who provided the letter. This very informative discussion took place at a CTeL Washington Live Brown Bag Series event on December 13, 2007. You can view the event by clicking here. The first portion of the event was a legislative discussion with Sen. John Thune (R-SD), and the patent discussion was the second half of the event.
ATA members who have questions about the patent issue are strongly encouraged to listen to the discussion. |
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ATA's 2007 Federal Policy Priorities
Using Telemedicine to Improve Efficiency, Quality and Access in Healthcare |
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Current Summary of Proposed Legislation (members only)
This is a special report put together by ATA staff of legislative proposals before the U.S. Congress that affect telemedicine. |
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Telehealth and Health Care Provider Shortages
March 2007
This paper examines the health care provider shortage and makes policy recommendations for ways that telemedicine can help address shortages. |
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Medical Licensure Portability
March 2007
This paper examines challenges facing telemedicine providers resulting from licensure barriers. It makes recommendations for ways to address these challenges while maintaining important consumer safety safeguards. |
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Private Payer Reimbursement for Telemedicine Services in the United States
July 2006
This report captures a current picture of private payer reimbursement for telemedicine services in the United States and serves as a follow-up to a survey conducted by the American Telemedicine Association and AMD Telemedicine in 2003 |
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Telemedicine, Telehealth, and Health Information Technology
July 2006
This paper presents a framework for discussing the interdependency of both telemedicine and HIT and includes a discussion about ways to leverage the telemedicine community’s experience in areas of mutual interest with HIT initiatives. |
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Network Neutrality: The Current Debate and Its Competing Perspectives
July 2006
In light of the current publicity and active lobbying by broadband providers, e-commerce companies, Members of Congress, public interest groups and various celebrities around “net neutrality”, the American Telemedicine Association is providing this layman’s guide to the issue. |
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ATA’s Federal Policy Recommendations for Home Telehealth and Remote Monitoring
June 2006
This paper sets forth ATA’s recommendations for changing federal policies in ways that encourage the expanded adoption of home telehealth and remote monitoring technologies. )
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Medicaid Handbook - Medical Assistance and Telehealth: An Evolving Partnership
June 2006
This provides information about the varying levels of state Medicaid support, legislative and regulatory methods by which state Medicaid support may be achieved, and case studies from states that have realized Medicaid reimbursement for remote health services. |
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Medicare Reimbursement for Telemedicine
January 27, 2006
A report detailing how Medicare reimburses for remote medical services. |
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The Telemedicine Response to Homeland Safety and Security : Developing a National Network for Rapid and Effective Response for Emergency Medical Care
May 2006
This white paper, developed by ATA on behalf of the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, proposes a national initiative to link existing telemedical networks into a national medical response grid that can be used in response to national emergencies. |
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Private Payer Reimbursement Information Directory
The purpose of this website is to provide a reference to support private payer reimbursement for telemedicine clinical consults. The information contained in this website is the result of a survey jointly sponsored by the American Telemedicine Association and AMD Telemedicine. The directory contains a listing of: |
- Telemedicine providers receiving private payer reimbursement
- Private payers providing reimbursement
- State legislation mandating private payer reimbursement of TM services
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Background information on how telemedicine effects critical aspects of public policy: |
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Consumer Success Stories
ATA has launched a Telemedicine Consumer Awareness Initiative to educate public policy makers and consumers about the benefits of telemedicine and seek their assistance in advocating for its deployment. The Initiative will include several interlocking activities including documenting success stories, reaching out to consumer groups and the developing public service announcements (PSAs). A web page has been created to collect anecdotal information about how telemedicine has made a difference in someone's life. |
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| Effective Advocacy Checklist |
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| Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law |
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Federal Telemedicine Update - An online newsletter by Carolyn Bloch |
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Telemedicine Licensure Report, June 2003
Prepared by the Center for Telemedicine Law under a contract from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth |
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| Law and Policy in Telemedicine - from the Telemedicine Information Exchange |
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Federal Register
The Office of the Federal Register informs citizens of their rights and obligations by providing ready access to the official text of Federal laws, Presidential documents, administrative regulations and notices, and descriptions of Federal organizations, programs, and activities. |
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Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet
The Library of Congress provides you with searchable information about the U.S. Congress and the legislative process. Search bills by topic, bill number, or title. Search through and read the text of the Congressional Record for the 101st through the 109th Congresses. Search and find committee reports by topic or committee name. |
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| Alan S. Goldberg's Law, Technology & Change Home Page |
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| Telehealth Practice Report - Published by the Civic Research Institute |
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ATA Alert: Senate Proposal would Expand Medicare Reimbursement for Telemental Health
November 15, 2007
ATA is working to expand Medicare reimbursement for telemedicine in Medicare to Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) as originating sites. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has proposed language to include CMHCs as originating sites for inclusion in the Senate Medicare package. |
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ATA Alert: Call Congress Today, Medicare SNF Payment Legislation
Action on House Bill | Action on Senate Proposal
November 6, 2007
H.R. 4082, recently introduced in the House of Representatives and a proposal by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) in the Senate would extend Medicare telemedicine coverage to nursing homes. Help advance telemedicine by telling your representatives to support these proposals |
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ATA Files Comments Regarding Medicare Coverage
August 30, 2007
ATA filed reply comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding its proposed changes in Medicare coverage of telemedicine services. The proposed changes were in response to a petition filed by ATA and others in December 2006. |
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FCC Order Establishes Pilot Program under Rural Health Care Funding Mechanism
September 29, 2006
The FCC has issued an order establishing a pilot program within the rural health care program. Allotted $400 million annually, the existing rural healthcare program is woefully underutilized. The pilot program is intended to help public and non-profit health care providers build state and region-wide broadband networks and connect those networks to a dedicated nationwide backbone. Applications to the FCC will be accepted for 60 days after Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements in the Order (FCC 06-144). A Rural Health Care Pilot Program information page has been posted by the FCC http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/rural/rhcp.html; contact Thomas Buckley at 202.418.0725, thomas.buckley@fcc.gov, or Claudia Fox at 202.418.1527, claudia.fox@fcc.gov, for additional information. |
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ATA Provisions for Telemedicine for Emergency Response Approved By Congress
In the closing days of the 109th Congress, the Senate and House passed S. 3678, a pandemic flu bill which includes authorization for many of ATA's priorities for the use of telemedicine for emergency response. Language in the bill includes the establishment of pilot programs for multi-state networks of telehealth programs and a charge that HHS start exploring "Telehealth Enhancements for Emergency Response", including interconnecting on regional levels as well as interconnecting with regional health information networks, reducing legal barriers to multi-state networks, and integrating telemedicine into the National Disaster Medical System. Much of this is included in a section of the bill that establishes a nationwide pubic health situational awareness network. The bill was signed into law in December (P.L. 109-417); the bill is authorizing-only and does not include any appropriations. That detail must be worked out at a later date.
The telehealth provisions were first developed and encouraged by ATA in a white paper created at the request of Michael Powell while he was chairman at the Federal Communications Commission. Origins for many of the bill's health situational network provisions may be found in ATA's Telemedicine Response to Homeland Safety and Security. S. 3678 stipulates the network will be an interoperable "system of systems" capable of exchanging medical data and information for the purpose of encouraging and fine-tuning detection and response processes for public health emergencies that could occur on a national or international scale. Among other provisions, the bill largely puts HHS in control of federal medical response to disease outbreaks and/or bioterrorism attacks. The bill authorizes $824 million for public health, response and pandemic preparedness, calls for a biomedical research agency to be realized under the aegis of HHS, and after much delay, provides for the development of the nationwide disease detection network.
The legislation once again makes HHS the parent agency of the National Disaster Medical System. DHS took over the system when the department was formed in 2003. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) provided for in the legislation takes a page from the DARPA model, and, it is hoped, will provide a catalyst for research into drugs and vaccines that can effectively counter attacks and/or outbreaks. A new position in the Department, assistant secretary of preparedness and response, will assume responsibility for pandemic disease outbreak and bioterrorism response coordination - including state and local efforts and R&D initiatives. |
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CMS Regulations, Rules & Comments
December 1, 2006
In 2006, progress by CMS to expand Medicare reimbursement slowed; Agency responses to ATA proposals under the Proposed Rule for Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule for Calendar Year 2007 and CMS’ responses to ATA comments may be reviewed here. A ruling by CMS in 2005 accepting ATA’s proposal to expand Medicare coverage to include remote medical nutrition therapy services and CMS’s support for home telehealth within its Quality Improvement Initiative were two examples of recent change and progress within the Administration. |
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S.1909 in 109th Reflects ATA Priorities for Medicare Expansion
October 24, 2005
The Senate version of the Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2005, S.1909, introduced in the 109th Congress, offers an excellent example of needed Medicare adjustments for telemedicine/telehealth reimbursement. ATA worked with congressional staff to ensure the bill’s language effectively addressed Medicare reimbursement for remote medical and health services for all remaining institutions eligible to participate in Medicare, but not currently eligible to be reimbursed for telemedicine/telehealth services, and an expansion of Medicare-covered originating telehealth sites, prioritizing eligibility for nursing homes, dialysis centers, and community-based mental health centers. Also included in the bill’s provisions is an authorization for a grant program through HRSA’s OAT for the development of telehealth networks which would define as grant-eligible nonprofit and for-profit alliances, provided the grant recipient is a nonprofit entity. ATA looks forward to working with members of the 110th Congress to address these issues and draft a Telehealth Enhancement Act in 2007. |
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ATA Comments on CMS Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule for CY2007
December 2005 |
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JCAHO Clarifies Telemedicine Standard
February 2003
An article in a newsletter published by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations provides an explanation of their standards on credentialing and privileging of telemedicine services. |
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