Telemedicine

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of telemedicine.

Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in a roundtable discussion at Saint Francis University in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Representatives from the university, Better Care America, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Highmark, among others, gathered to share their expertise on telemedicine and its impact on rural health.

Telemedicine is an incredibly important tool for millions of Americans, but particularly for those who live in rural communities. With telemedicine, we can increase access to care for those who live far away from a doctor's office or hospital.

Of course, this benefit extends beyond rural communities. Telemedicine is crucial in ensuring older Americans and those with limited mobility are able to access quality medical care by eliminating roadblocks like finding transportation to a doctor's appointment. By increasing convenience and flexibility for patients, it encourages individuals to take a more proactive approach in managing their health.

Telemedicine can also have a positive impact on the health and well- being of our veterans. Their sacrifice and willingness to dedicate their lives to serve our country is a debt that we can never truly repay. The least we can do, however, is to ensure that they have access to quality healthcare. This includes mental health.

Many of our men and women in uniform are suffering privately with post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, brain injuries, and more. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that roughly 20 veterans commit suicide a day. We must do our part to prevent tragedies like this from happening.

That is why I introduced H.R. 2123, the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act--or the VETS Act, as we call it--in 2017, alongside Congresswoman Julia Brownley. This bipartisan legislation reduces barriers for veterans seeking healthcare by removing burdensome location requirements, increasing access to care regardless of where the healthcare professional or the patient is located.

Prior to the VETS Act's enactment, VA doctors could only provide telehealth services across State lines if both the veteran and the doctor were located in Federal facilities. Undoing this restriction was successful under the VETS Act's adoption, and it is just one way that we can improve access to telehealth for millions of veterans nationwide.

Prior to the VETS Act, we were able to do that successfully a number of years ago with the STEP Act, the Servicemembers' Telemedicine and E- Health Portability Act, and it did the same thing for 1.1 million American heroes who are members of our Active-Duty military, Reserve, and Guard. The act lifted those same bureaucratic barriers to expand better access through telemedicine.

Through innovation and bipartisan support, we can continue to strengthen telemedicine care for all Americans.

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