Sens Thune and Klobuchar introduce telemedicine bill

Sens John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a bill aimed at promoting long-distance telemedicine for Medicare recipients. The Fostering Independence Through Technology Act has been introduced in past years without passing. It would provide incentives for home health agencies, particularly in rural areas, to use home monitoring and communications technologies. Under the bill, agencies that participated in the telemedicine pilot program would receive annual payments based on Medicare savings through telemedicine technology.