{"id":6925,"date":"2019-05-15T20:27:55","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T20:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tele.healthcare\/?p=6925"},"modified":"2019-05-15T20:27:55","modified_gmt":"2019-05-15T20:27:55","slug":"new-bill-seeks-to-expand-telehealth-services-in-rural-health-clinics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drmiltie.com\/at-home-testing\/new-bill-seeks-to-expand-telehealth-services-in-rural-health-clinics\/","title":{"rendered":"New Bill Seeks to Expand Telehealth Services in Rural Health Clinics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A bill introduced in April seeks to expand telehealth services offered by the nation’s 4,300 rural health clinics by enabling them to be qualified through Medicare as distant site providers.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Eric Wicklund<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 15, 2019 – Congress is considering a bill that would enable rural health clinics to support \u2013 and be reimbursed for \u2013 more telehealth and telemedicine programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rural Health Clinic Modernization Act of 2019 (S 1037)<\/a>, introduced in April by Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Tina Smith (D-MN), aims to expand the services offered by rural health clinics to improve access to care and close coverage gaps in underserved areas of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill calls for RHCs, which can now serve as originating sites for connected care services, to also be classified by Medicare as distant site providers<\/a>, enabling them to expand their telehealth platform to include more professional services. It would also give them more flexibility in contracting with physician assistants and nurse practitioners and improve reimbursement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n