Florida bills push for more telemedicine

Florida legislators are pushing for increases in the use of and payment for telemedicine.

After the Telemedicine Public Policy Symposium at the Mayo Clinic's Jacksonville campus on Tuesday, Reps. Cary Pigman (R-Avon Park) and Mia Jones (D-Jacksonville) announced their plans to co-sponsor a bill requiring both Medicaid and private insurers to reimburse doctors who use telemedicine to treat their patients. Pigman, also an emergency physician, called the approach "cost-effective" and "hassle-free."

"So much of what we do in healthcare is directed toward rescue," Pigman said, according to the Florida Times-Union. "This would enable [physicians] to do more maintenance and preservation."

A similar bill was filed earlier this month by state Sen. Arthenia Joyner (D-Tampa), which would prevent insurers from requiring face-to-face visits between doctors and patients should telemedicine be a sufficient means for providing care. Joyner's bill also calls on the state's department of health to initiate a study examining options related to the use of telemedicine for stroke diagnosis, high-risk pregnancies, premature, mental health services and emergency services.