Below is the HillCo client report from the September 24 Telemedicine & Telehealth Advisory Committee meeting.
Discussion of the utilization of telemedicine, telehealth and telemonitoring in Medicaid
- Utilization numbers are trending upward as a whole as well as in the Medicaid population
- The highest paid amounts are related to patient assessments
Update regarding Federal Legislation (House Resolution 3077 TELEMED Act of 2013 and Senate 2662 Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2014) for telemedicine
- The federal legislation was not passed but the bill will likely resurface at some point down the road
- Legislation is being developed that would allow for provider licensure across state lines for the purposes of telemedicine; concerned that if it is passed it does not address the Medicaid eligibility of the provider
Current Status of telemedicine efforts as it relates to medical services
- There is currently a problem surrounding physicians and psychiatrists in particular who are practicing tele-psychiatry according to state laws but against federal laws; this is a problem because tele-psychiatry is growing and expanding to schools, jails, halfway houses, etc.; especially a problem for rural areas who have no other providers available
Legislative issues for consideration for the 84th Texas Legislative Session
- Work group is being used to strategize with HHSC regarding how telemedicine and telehealth will be moving forward
- Looking at policy clarifications and maybe rule changes as home telemonitoring gets off the ground; trying to eliminate barriers
- There is a knowledge deficit in these services on the contractor side and provider side; the complicated nature of the industry makes it difficult to understand
- There needs to be consistent messaging for how to implement these services
- Working on developing specific recommendations to present to HHSC before November
Next meeting will be 10:00 AM, March 25, 2015,
Public Testimony
Jetty Edelman, Texas Association for Homecare and Hospice
- Thanked the committee for their good work
- The subcommittee that was developed is doing a good job of ironing out problems the association brought up
Unidentified Witness
- The telemedicine and telehealth program will help to reduce readmissions and unnecessary ER visits
- Posting success measures for providers to access will help with adoption going forward
Gilberto Garcia, Home Health Service Provider
- Telemedicine in conjunction with home health services does result in reduced cost to the health care continuum
Trish O’Day, Blue Cross Blue Shield
- There are very few requests for telemonitoring in CHIP and STAR because most of the clients are under 18 or pregnant