A telemedicine ophthalmologist remotely examines a cyst on someone's eye. (photo courtesy Shutterstock)
A telemedicine ophthalmologist remotely examines a cyst on someone’s eye. (photo courtesy Shutterstock)

Who said Congress was dysfunctional? (We have, among endless others, but hey, it’s worth noting when good things happen!) In any case, the Senate Finance Committee has moved forward legislation to finance telehealth services via the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, reports Modern Healthcare (with whom Techonomy has occasionally worked).
The fact that it was the powerful Finance Committee that took this action is all the more significant. It may suggest potent support for digital health measures in the Senate, reports John Patrick, whose note on Medium first alerted Techonomy to the development. It’s wonderful to imagine that the digital potential to make American healthcare more efficient might become an ongoing priority in Congress, though that may be much to hope for, given legislators’ general inaction over time. But if you want to learn more, such questions will be debated and explained at the Techonomy Health conference in midtown Manhattan in NYC on May 16.