US Senators introduce rural telehealth expansion bill

U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, introduced a bipartisan bill that would incentive non-rural hospitals serving rural patients to expand their telehealth services.

The "Reaching Underserved Rural Areas to Lead on Telehealth Act," S. 1377, would allow non-rural members of telehealth consortia to qualify for the 65 percent healthcare provider broadband connectivity discount provided by the Federal Communications Commission's Healthcare Connect Fund, as long as the majority of locations serve patients in rural areas.

“Our bill will give telehealth service providers better incentives to serve more rural areas," said Mr. Schatz. "Ultimately, that is good news for anyone who cares about expanding access to healthcare in Hawaii and other rural areas across the country."

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