Sen Udall drafting bill to kill telemedicine barriers

Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) anticipates introducing a bill this spring to make it easier for physicians to practice telemedicine in many states instead of applying for a separate license for each state.

The bill, which is still being drafted, would streamline licensure portability across state lines, according to Fern Goodhart, Udall’s legislative assistant. “Telemedicine is medicine, just practiced virtually,” she said at a Jan. 31 Capitol Hill briefing sponsored by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), which advocates for use of remote medical technologies. Legislation may be needed because the private sector market has not generated medical license portability, even with the increasing adoption of health IT and networking capabilities, she said. Physician licensure has been a barrier to telemedicine because digital health care does not stop at state borders. A physician, who may supply treatment remotely, must obtain a medical license in each of the states where patients receive care via telemedicine, said Jonathan Linkous, ATA CEO.