ATA Supports Department of Veterans Affairs Expansion of Telehealth
Secretary David Shulkin and VA Continue to Champion Telehealth with White House Demonstration
Washington, DC – August 3, 2017 – The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) has long recognized the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a federal and national leader in telehealth. ATA strongly supports the VA for eliminating state-by-state licensure requirements for health professionals employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. As the largest telehealth program in the U.S., the VA has long been a steward of innovative health delivery and financing models involving telehealth which support accessible, available, and affordable healthcare services to veterans.
ATA has long supported the VA’s vision of expanding veterans’ access to telehealth services, facilitating high-quality encounters between veterans and providers, and ensuring that veterans are equipped with the best tools to monitor their health. This includes innovative models that facilitate cross-state practice and enable consumer choice such as the VETS Act (S. 295 and H.R. 2123).
“We applaud Dr. Shulkin for demonstrating the value of telehealth today at the White House.” said Gary Capistrant, Chief Policy Officer, ATA. “We encourage President Trump to issue an Executive Order to eliminate the state-by-state licensure model for all federal and private-sector health professional employees servicing federal government programs—notably agencies (such as the VA and the Department of Health and Human Services), health benefit programs (such as Medicare and TRICARE), federally-funded health sites (such as community health centers and rural clinics), and during federally-declared emergencies or disasters.”
With over 700,000 veterans utilizing telehealth, the Department of Veterans Affairs is the largest telehealth program in the United States. The VA recently received $2.1B in Choice funding to further allow veterans to choose any health provider of their choice. Secretary Shulkin will keynote EDGE 2017, ATA’s fall forum to be held Oct. 2-4, 2017 in Washington, DC.
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About the American Telemedicine Association (ATA)
Established in 1993, ATA is a non-profit, membership-based association located in Washington DC. Comprised of a membership network of more than 10,000 industry leaders and healthcare professionals, ATA is the leading telehealth association helping to transform healthcare by improving the quality, equity, and affordability of healthcare throughout the world. To learn more about ATA, visit https://www.americantelemed.org.
Contact:
Jessica Washington
202-659-7616
jwashington@americantelemed.org
