House lawmakers have introduced a bill (H.R. 6107) that would allow a physician working for the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide telehealth services to a veteran living in a state in which the physician is not licensed to practice, FierceHealthIT reports (Bowman, FierceHealthIT, 7/16).
Current law requires VA health care providers to be licensed in the state where the patient is receiving treatment (Gant Daily, 7/16).
The bill -- introduced by Reps. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) -- would remove such restrictions to make it easier for VA physicians to provide telehealth services (FierceHealthIT, 7/16).
Thompson said the bill "will help veterans struggling with mental health conditions, especially those in geographically remote areas, access the care they need wherever they are located" (Gant Daily, 7/16).
According to a statement from Rangel's office, eleven additional House members are cosponsoring the bill (FierceHealthIT, 7/16).