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AMA endorses telemedicine bill

The AMA has announced its support for a bill in Congress that would expand the use of telemedicine services through Medicare and improve quality care for patients.

The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act was introduced in the Senate on Feb. 3 with bipartisan support. The bill is designed to better allow patients to connect with health care providers and cut costs. In a statement released coinciding with the bill’s introduction, the AMA said the “appropriate use” of telemedicine could “greatly improve access to quality care while maintaining patient safety.”

“This legislation has the potential to remove barriers to new health care delivery models that promote coordinated and patient-centered care,” AMA President Steven J. Stack, MD, said in a press release. “Importantly, the bill aims to maintain high standards whether a patient is seeing a physician in an office or via telemedicine.”

The AMA also noted an independent study by Avalare Health that concluded the bill could save $1.8 billion over 10 years. In the press release, Stack referred to the bill as showing “Congress at its best.”

“Telemedicine can strengthen the patient-physician relationship and improve access for patients with chronic conditions and limited access to quality care,” Stack said. “The AMA’s guiding principles on telemedicine seek to foster innovation while promoting quality care.” – by Jason Laday

For more information:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/2016/2016-02-03-ama-supports-telemedicine-bill.page