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House Study Bill 79

Conference Committee Text

PAG LIN
  1  1               HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2        BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY RESOLUTION
  1  3                   BY CHAIRPERSON BRUNKHORST)
  1  4 A Concurrent Resolution requesting that the Congress
  1  5    of the United States direct the Health Care Financ-
  1  6    ing Administration to establish a national policy
  1  7    no later than July 1, 1995, for Medicare reimburse-
  1  8    ment of telemedicine services.
  1  9    WHEREAS, telemedicine services can attract physicians to
  1 10 rural areas, eliminating provider isolation through readily
  1 11 available opportunities for geographically convenient,
  1 12 continuing education and access to medical information sources
  1 13 and specialists across the state and throughout the nation,
  1 14 thereby positively impacting the problem of medical provider
  1 15 shortage areas; and
  1 16    WHEREAS, telemedicine services enable patients to remain in
  1 17 their home communities and hospitals for medical care,
  1 18 eliminating the costs of duplicative testing and personnel as
  1 19 well as potential threats to patient stability due to multiple
  1 20 transfers; and
  1 21    WHEREAS, the projected cost savings for patients and
  1 22 medical care providers would ultimately result in lower costs
  1 23 to state and federal governments and taxpayers; and
  1 24    WHEREAS, implementation of telemedicine is dependent upon
  1 25 economics involving high initial capital expenditures that
  1 26 many Iowa hospitals, especially in rural communities, are
  1 27 unable to afford; and
  1 28    WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has expressly
  1 29 prohibited the Health Care Financing Administration from
  1 30 providing reimbursement for procedures or services not yet
  1 31 proven safe or clinically effective, and telemedicine is
  1 32 currently considered to be experimental; and
  1 33    WHEREAS, all Iowans will benefit from increased access to
  1 34 health care services and the lower costs resulting from the
  1 35 widespread use of telemedicine; NOW THEREFORE,
  2  1    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE SENATE
  2  2 CONCURRING, That the General Assembly of the State of Iowa
  2  3 respectfully requests that the Congress of the United States
  2  4 direct the Health Care Financing Administration to establish a
  2  5 national policy for Medicare reimbursement of telemedicine
  2  6 services by no later than July 1, 1995; and
  2  7    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be
  2  8 transmitted to the Speaker of the United States House of
  2  9 Representatives, the President of the United States Senate,
  2 10 and all members of the Iowa congressional delegation.  
  2 11 LSB 1891HC 76
  2 12 mj/sc/14
     

Text: HSB00078                          Text: HSB00080
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