WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today introduced legislation with Senator Mark Begich of Alaska to waive co-payments for veterans for telehealth and telemedicine visits.
"Telemedicine can help rural residents access health care services that otherwise might be out of reach. This legislation is designed to make sure veterans are able to take advantage of telehealth's valuable, cost-effective services," Grassley said. "Based on the fact that telehealth services continue to improve, and that telehealth reduces overall costs for the VA, our bill is a win-win for veterans and taxpayers."
The proposed legislation would waive copayments, which can be as high as $50 per visit, for telehealth appointments. "Waiving the payments would lessen the burden on veterans and encourage more veterans to take advantage of telehealth programs, improving their ability to manage health issues and have a better quality of life," Grassley said.
According to the Veterans Health Administration, telehealth programs have demonstrated reduced hospital admissions and clinic and emergency room visits.
Thousands of Iowa veterans are enrolled in Care Coordination Home Telehealth, Clinical Video Telehealth, and Teleretinal Imaging telehealth programs in Iowa.
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