NBC29McDonnell Signs Telemedicine Bill

McDonnell Signs Telemedicine Bill

Governor Bob McDonnell is also looking at where healthcare is going in Virginia. At issue today, telemedicine, and helping doctors see patients, even if they're hundreds of miles apart.

The governor put his signature on a bill which requires most insurance companies to cover telemedicine care. McDonnell says it will help keep Virginians healthier all while saving money.

It's a concept that's getting rave reviews from doctors including those at the University of Virginia Medical Center. The idea is that a doctor in Richmond could hold a video conference with a patient in far southwest Virginia, a good six or seven hours away. Doctors say this could be especially helpful for stroke patients who need early diagnosis and for people who need to see a specialist who might be too far away to make the drive.

McDonnell said, "It's a recognition that in this modern age, you don't actually need to have the doctor or the nurse or the specialist in the room."

Dr. Karen Rheuban of UVA Medical Center stated, "Through telemedicine, we have saved lives, reduced the burden of clinicians, prevented unnecessary travel and reduced hospital readmissions."

UVA Medical Center's telemedicine network offers care in 35 different specialties from obstetrics all the way to geriatric care. But in the past many insurers wouldn't pay for the service.

The lawmakers who pushed this bill started working on the issue back in 1995. Doctors say technology has only improved since then, making this legislative accomplishment even more beneficial to patients across the commonwealth.

Reported by Adam Rhew
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