Another Win in the Books: Telemedicine Bills Pass in Virginia

Feb 14, 2019 by AFP

Not only is Americans for Prosperity working to break barriers at the federal level, but millions of activists are working to help people improve their lives at the state and local level!

Thanks in no small part to activists in Virginia, we have another win in the books! Here’s our report on the latest win:

Summary: With unanimous, bipartisan support, health care legislation giving Virginians more access to quality health care through telemedicine passed both the House and the Senate.

House Bill 1970 and Senate Bill 1221, companion bills, treat telemedicine and in-person care equally in terms of doctor reimbursements and incentivization, which had not been the case before. The bills also commission a one-year study to look at how access to out-of-state doctors would affect health outcomes.

Main Events: Activists sent 1,113 emails to lawmakers. The bills were then passed through the legislature on Feb. 5.

Real Impact: AFP- VA activist Sabrina Roark is a health care professional in Southwest Virginia. She is able to see first-hand the benefits telemedicine provides.

Sabrina Roark

“Telemedicine has seen waves of innovation that allow healthcare providers to care for patients in remote locations. Rural patients gain valuable and even lifesaving access to specialists. For many providers, this means providing more care at lower cost, while patients are able to remain in the comfort of their own home,” she said. “The telemedicine legislation recently passed by the Virginia legislature breaks down barriers to innovation, enables patients and healthcare professionals, and brings the Commonwealth into the 21st century.”

Important Quotes: “It’s exciting to see lawmakers come together and pass legislation that is going to improve the lives of thousands of Virginians. Every Virginian should have access to quality health care right at their fingertips. Thanks to these reforms, more folks in the commonwealth will have access to the care they need when they need it.” — AFP-VA State Director JC Hernandez

Top Takeaway: Telemedicine allows health care providers to work with patients from a distance by using digital communication. This gives people greater access to health care, removing the need to travel to a facility and providing faster answers to many medical questions. In the end, more Virginians will be able to obtain the services they need.