Throughout the campaign season and the first months of Donald Trump’s presidency, the current Administration has voiced a commitment to furthering telehealth advancement. For example, during the campaign, then-candidate Trump emphasized the importance of telehealth tools in reforming the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA"). More recently, both U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma stated in their confirmation hearings that they were interested in promoting the use of telehealth technology. On Thursday, August 3, 2017, VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, joined by President Trump, took steps towards fulfilling this commitment, announcing three telehealth initiatives aimed at improving access to and quality of care for veterans.
First is a forthcoming regulation that Secretary Shulkin referred to as “Anywhere to Anywhere VA Healthcare.” Under current law, VA practitioners may provide in-person health care services in any state, as long as they are licensed in one state, without needing additional professional licensure. This proposed regulation would expand the ability to engage in multistate practice to VA practitioners who are providing telehealth services. Anywhere to Anywhere VA Healthcare, if enacted, would authorize VA practitioners to serve veterans using telehealth technologies, regardless of the locations of the provider or the patient, as long as the VA practitioner maintains a valid professional license in good standing in at least one state.
The second telehealth initiative discussed during last week’s announcement is an app titled “VA Video Connect” that allows veterans to connect with health care providers via secure and web-enabled video on their smartphones or computers. Currently, VA Video Connect is being used by 300 VA providers in 67 hospitals, and the VA intends to roll-out the app nationwide over the course of the next year. The third telehealth initiative discussed is another app, titled “Veteran Appointment Request App” or “VAR App.” The VAR App enables veterans to use their smartphones, tablets, or computers to schedule or modify appointments at VA facilities. The VAR App is currently available at some VA locations, but now the VA has planned a nationwide roll-out.
Last week’s announcement of these telehealth-focused initiatives was met with praise from many, including leading telehealth advocacy organizations such as the American Telemedicine Association and Health IT Now. The VA has long been at the forefront of telehealth progress, including being an early adopter of telehealth technology, piloting telehealth programs as early as the 1990s, and pioneering much of the progress being made in telehealth care coordination. As the largest telehealth program in the country, the VA continues to be a leader in the telehealth space. Last year alone, 700,000 veterans received telehealth services through the VA. For more information about the VA Telehealth Program, visit VA Telehealth Services.