Florida poised to tackle tele-health reimbursement

As 19 states have done before it, Florida is looking to become the 20th state to require private insurers to cover tele-health services, starting as early as 2015. A bill proposed by State Senator Arthenia Joyner would require reimbursement for remote consults, equivalent to an in-person session with a physician. The bill would also require the Florida Department of Health to conduct a study on “options for implementing telemedicine services and coverage, including multi-payer coverage and reimbursement, for stroke diagnosis, high-risk pregnancies, premature births, mental health services, and emergency services.”

As outlined in Joyner’s bill, the umbrella of “telemedicine services” covers a wide range of uses and includes “synchronous video conferencing, remote patient monitoring, asynchronous health images, or other health  transmissions supported by mobile devices, such as mHealth, or other telecommunications technology used for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation, treatment, transfer of medical data, or exchange of medical education information by means of audio, video, or data communications.” The term telemedicine-services, the bill notes, “does not include an audio-only telephone call, e-mail message, or facsimile transmission.”

If your organization is seeking a low-cost, high-tech solution to provide accessible healthcare services, then consider Trinity’s Touchscreen Mobile Telemedicine Station. This unit is designed to work in any healthcare environment. Some of the features include an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, high-definition camera and height-adjustable tabletop with antibacterial work surface.

Visit www.trinityvideo.net for more details on Trinity’s Mobile Telemedicine Station. Or, contact us today at 1-800-261-9008 to speak with a Trinity representative to schedule a demonstration at your location, or at our Louisville, Kentucky or Sterling, Virginia offices.