Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

Senate bill would expand telemedicine coverage for Medicare patients

Modern Healthcare: Days after a bill was introduced to the Senate that would allow Medicare to test covering more telehealth models, the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee introduced a bill that would put more Medicare money into telemedicine.

The sponsors of the bill—Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)—are seeking to improve the quality of care for chronically ill Medicare patients.

The bill reflects a growing push to care for patients not only when they're sick enough to go to the hospital but before, preventing the exacerbation of problems that can lead to great overall healthcare costs.

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