The Federation of State Medical Boards Issues Model Legislation for Interstate practice

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), a national non-profit representing the 70 medical and osteopathic boards of the U.S. and territories, issued a long-awaited statement on 9/5/14 upon completion of the drafting process for model legislation to create an Interstate Medical Licensure Compact that would speed the process of issuing licenses for physicians who wish to practice in multiple states.

According to the press release, the interstate medical licensure compact model legislation “creates a new process for faster licensing for physicians interested in practicing in multiple states and establishes the location of a patient as the jurisdiction for oversight and patient protections.”

The implications for delivery of telehealth are profound.  As the healthcare landscape becomes broader with both expanded services available due to Internet technology and a diverse integrative practitioner population, the establishment of the location of the patient as the jurisdiction for oversight and protection is of paramount importance.  In this way, the provider can reside in his/her state and consult with people in multiple states.

The compact is voluntary on a state by state basis and for physicians’ participation as well.

Those practices whose specialties are geared toward health promotion, prevention of disease, lifestyle management, mindfulness and stress reduction stand to benefit greatly from the increased exposure that telehealthcare offers. These practices identified in Sec. 5101 of the Affordable Care Act as “integrative healthcare practitioners” are the national healthcare workforce that can now collaborate with their licensed colleagues across state lines in real-time therapeutic partnering. The impact on chronic disease management and the resultant cost savings along with better quality of life are anticipated outcomes.

 

Telemedicine/telehealth Stakeholders Gear up for Fall Momentum

Which telemedicine bills are likely to gain traction this fall is the ubiquitous question among lobbyists and telehealth advocate groups such as the Integrative Telehealth Alliance and the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium.

Telemedicine/telehealth is a niche issue in the healthcare politico arena that is garnering enthusiasm by lobbying groups such as the recently formed Alliance for Connected Care. The leadership here are veterans of the industry, Former Majority Leaders Tom Daschle, Trent Lott and former Senior Sen. John Breaux, whose aim is to enable more telehealth to support new models of care.

POLITICO’s Morning eHealth (9/9/14) quotes Krista Drobac, Exec. Dir. of the Alliance for Connected Care, with a positive forecast relative to one payment model. “We think it’s absolutely possible and likely that we build the evidence and the coalition to completely transform the way telemedicine is looked at by Medicare.”

Players on the field are Reps. Mike Thompson (D-Ca.), Gregg Harper (R-Miss.), Sens.Thad Cochran (R-Miss) and Richard Wicker (R-Miss) whose bills titled the Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2014 puts telehealth services under Medicare on the path toward parity with in-person health care visits. This is huge for the Boomer population whose age-related chronic complex diseases present a deterrent to making doctor office visits. Add in the folks with mobility issues, geographic location issues and care-giver compliance issues and we can see that telehealthcare is a reality that must be enacted and enabled.

Sen. Thompson waxes enthusiastic in his press release July 31, 2014: ” Telehealth saves money and helps save lives. By expanding telehealth services, we can make sure the best care and the best treatments are available to all Americans, no matter where they live.”

Sen. Harper added: “Telehealth is one of the most promising aspects of the healthcare field.”

Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt), visionary player, according to his press conference on 9/814, “unveiled bipartisan legislation to build upon the progress of Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’s) in shifting the reimbursement of healthcare providers away from the traditional ” fee for service” model to a focus on improving the health outcomes of patients”. Outstanding concept and music to the ears of long time veterans of integrative healthcare!

Rep. Diane Black (R-Tn) will join Rep. Welch this week to introduce The ACO Improvement Act of 2014. This bill will further improve the incentivizing of health outcomes, increase collaboration between patients (people) and doctors (providers).

Bravo/brava! A notion whose time has come. Validating the relationship between a person and their provider of choice is, indeed, a key to success in health outcomes. Empowering a person to choice and access to care with the provider of their choice will stimulate the collaboration necessary for team effort. Positive outcomes are the result of positively resonant relationships.

And it is all about relationships, folks! So, if you positively resonate with the ideas and action plans of these legislators, let them know! Send a letter of support, follow their lead and get on board.  The train is leaving the station!

 

AMA restricts access to telemedicine and opens the doors for Integrative Practitioners.

The AMA and the student physicians proffered policy statement on the delivery of telemedicine that will restrict access across state lines, according to the Washington Post. June 18, 2014.  http://m.washingtonpost.com/business/on-it/ama-doctors-must-be-licensed-in-patients-state-to-practice-telemedicine/2014/06/18/35ccf970-f56d-11e3-a606-946fd632f9f1_story.html

 

The AMA policy states that the physician must be licensed in the state that the patient resides in. This effectively puts the brakes on the Federal Telemedicine objective to have legislation that will allow docs to prescribe across state lines as the VA does. 

 

The good news is that professional integrative healthcare practitioners, those that are not subject to state licensure, can practice without this restriction.  For example, Certified Classical Homeopaths, bearing the national certification of CCH, may practice in any state as they are not required to have a state license.

 

Choice and access to the provider of your choice lies squarely in the hands of the integrative telehealth care provider.

Can you say, “tipping point”?