For Immediate Release
March 11, 2020
Contact: Katherine Levasseur
(802) 828-2245
MONTPELIER, VT - On Wednesday, the Vermont House passed H.723, an act relating to health insurance coverage for store-and-forward and telemedicine. The bill offers expanded healthcare access through increasing telehealth, which seeks to supplement face-to-face health services with telecommunications (telemedicine and store-and-forward strategies).
House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero) noted, “this bill expands access to health care for Vermonters in rural and underserved areas and will ensure that their access to specialists is not limited by their zip code. By reducing the need for distant travel to appointments, this bill will also mitigate challenges with the current system, such as missed work and challenging childcare arrangements. The current public health issues raised by the COVID-19 concerns in Vermont highlight the potential benefits telemedicine offers. Improved access to virtual systems allows patients and care providers to limit exposure and adhere to quarantine measures, as needed. Additionally, with store-and-forward medicine, communication across providers increases, encouraging primary care providers, specialists, and other practitioners to work together without the constraints of “real time” patient discourse or travel limitations. Telehealth presents innovative solutions to healthcare challenges that are reflective of the lives and needs of modern Vermonters. We hear again and again from Vermonters that geographic access to care and the time it takes to visit a care provider are huge hurdles for them. This bill is a step in the right direction as we seek to level the playing field and ensure we’re creating a future for our state that works for all Vermonters.”
Representative Lori Houghton (D-Essex Junction), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Health Care reported the bill on the floor. She added, “telehealth has the capability to help Vermonters gain access to healthcare, reduce the costs associated with healthcare visits and assist our struggling workforce. These methods can serve a diversity of the population across different Vermont communities, including veterans who may not be able to access their nearest Veterans Affairs medical center. Additionally, the bill addresses cost challenges using a multifaceted approach, such as eliminating limitations of reimbursement and revising definitions within health insurance plans to provide greater coverage. It is anticipated that telehealth will continue to gain traction moving forward and we are excited to be at the forefront in developing the framework in Vermont.”
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