Alliance Support Letter for South Dakota SB 134
The Alliance submitted a letter of support to Sen. Erin Tobin, Vice-Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, for Senate Bill 134.
Senate Bill 134 would modernize Physician Assistant (PA) practice and remove the outdated collaborative agreement with a physician in order to put all advanced practice providers on equal footing. The bill would allow experienced PAs to collaborate with, consult with, or refer to the appropriate member of the health care team. This important legislation would help increase patient access to health care services for all South Dakotans, especially as rural and medically underserved communities across the state are facing a serious health care provider shortage impeding their access to care.
The Alliance believes that PAs should be able to perform at the top of their licenses in order to expand access and eliminate barriers to health care. As a telehealth advocacy organization, the Alliance believes PAs are an essential component to expanding access to care through the use of telehealth. This is especially important for patients who live in rural or underserved communities or in provider shortage areas and therefore may not have access to services they need where they reside. PAs have also been critical to expanding access to care and filling gaps in the health care workforce throughout the pandemic.
Read the full letter here and below:
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Open in new tab Alliance Support Letter for Minnesota SB 2303
The Alliance submitted a letter of support to Paul J. Utke, the Chair of the Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee, for Senate Bill 2303.
The bill would adopt the Nurse Licensure Compact in the State of Minnesota. The Nurse Licensure Compact allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states, without having to obtain additional licenses. This bill is critical because it allows for mutual recognition of state licenses between states participating in the compact.
One of the biggest barriers to telehealth becoming a regular patient and provider choice is the administrative burden caused by variation in licensure requirements from state to state. Alleviating such administrative burdens through establishing multistate compacts that have reciprocity and do not require additional licensing will help improve patient access to quality health care.
Read the full letter here and below:
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How remote patient monitoring (RPM) can increase access to care
How remote patient monitoring (RPM) can increase access to care
As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps through the world, healthcare providers and patients are struggling to reconcile the need for continuity in care with the risks posed by the coronavirus. The crisis has also shed light on existing issues with access to care faced by patients in rural, hard-to-reach areas. Some of these problems can be solved by remote patient monitoring (RPM): a technology solution that collects patient data from devices such as weight scales and blood pressure monitors and transmits them wirelessly to providers, who can intervene when clinically necessary.
Alliance Support Letter for Virginia SB 1245
The Alliance submitted a letter of support to Sen. George Barker, Chair of Subcommittee on Health Professions Senate Education and Health Committee, for Senate Bill 1245.
Senate Bill 1245 would repeal the sunset provision included in a bill that passed in 2021 (House Bill 1737) that reduced the number of years of full-time clinical experience a nurse practitioner must have to be eligible to practice without a written or electronic practice agreement from five years to two years. By reducing the transition to practice requirement for nurse practitioners (NPs) to two years on a permanent basis, House Bill 1245 would allow NPs to use the full extent of their education and training to provide care to patients.
Allowing NPs to practice at the top of their licenses means allowing them to use all of their education and training to care for patients. Removing restrictions on NPs to allow them to practice to the full extent of their education and training would increase consumer access to health care, address persisting barriers to care for vulnerable populations and/or patients living in provider shortage areas, and reduce unnecessary health care costs.
Read the full letter here and below:
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Alliance Submits Comments to FSMB Draft Report on Appropriate Use of Telemedicine Technologies
The Alliance for Connected Care submitted comments in response to the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) request for comments on the draft document entitled “Report on the Appropriate Use of Telemedicine Technologies in the Practice of Medicine.” The Alliance offered comments we hope the FSMB Workgroup on Telemedicine will consider as it finalizes this document in the coming weeks. We primarily offer recommendations around the provision of audio-only telehealth, reforming licensure laws and regulations, removing restrictive in-person requirements for establishing a provider-patient relationship, and addressing health equity through broadband access and affordability. Summarized below are takeaways from our response:
- Provision of Audio-only Telehealth – The Alliance proposed an edit to the definition included on “telemedicine,” specifically the provision that relates to audio-only telehealth. We encouraged FSMB to modify this definition to account for the fact that providers and patients should be the ones to make the decision about the most appropriate modality for a telehealth visit, not regulators.
- Reforming Licensure Laws and Regulations – The Alliance believes that one of the biggest barriers to telehealth becoming a regular patient and provider choice is the administrative burden caused by the variation in licensure requirements from state to state. The Alliance offered comments on the recommendations made in the draft document around exceptions that may be made to permit the practice of medicine across state lines without the need for licensure in a jurisdiction where the patient is located:
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- Consultations and Screenings – The Alliance appreciated the inclusion of physician-to-physician consultations and prospective patient screening for complex referrals as exceptions to licensure. This is important for patients with rare diseases or chronic conditions that might need multiple consultations to ensure they find a provider who can meet their specific health care needs.
- Limited Follow-Up Care – The Alliance recommended an expansion to this section to acknowledge the need for continuity of care for certain populations, beyond the groups of patients listed who may need episodic follow-up care or follow-up care after travel for a surgical/medical treatment. Specifically, the Alliance encouraged FSMB to consider elderly populations and those in need of specialty care who cannot access it where they reside, in addition to those traveling for vacation, business or education. Telehealth has been critical for continuity of care for these populations to ensure they can receive the ongoing care they need where they reside.
- Clinical Trials – The Alliance recommended that FSMB consider an additional category to consider in this section to address state licensing limitations in clinical trials. State licensing limitations effectively prohibit clinicians working on clinical trials from recruiting patients outside the state where the clinician is licensed, thereby diminishing the impact of initiatives to decentralize and modernize clinical trials. State regulators have a role in breaking down additional barriers in using digital technology, and ensuring clinicians can recruit clinical trial participants across state lines can help improve recruitment, retention, diversity, and participation in clinical trials.
- Removing Restrictive In-Person Requirements – The Alliance and its members strongly believe that an in-person requirement is not necessary or appropriate for a telehealth service. The Alliance encouraged FSMB to maintain the provision in the Standard of Care section that asserts that a physician-patient relationship may be established using telemedicine technologies without the requirement of a prior in-person meeting.
- Addressing Health Equity through Broadband Access and Affordability – The Alliance believes telehealth has the potential to broaden access to care and improve patient engagement, and we agree it demands thoughtful consideration to ensure all Americans are provided equal and equitable access. We appreciated the section in this draft directly addressing equity in health care access via telehealth, and commented on the inclusion of broadband as a means to addressing equity in health care delivery via telemedicine. We provided several recommendations FSMB could consider adding to this section as states pursue broadband policies.
See the comment letter here or below:
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Alliance Support Letter for Utah SB 151
The Alliance submitted a letter of support to Sen. Curtis S. Bramble, Chair of the Utah Senate Business and Labor Committee, for Senate Bill 151.
Senate Bill 151 would adopt the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Compact. Under this compact, Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) licensed in a Compact member state may practice in another Compact member state, allowing APRNs to have one multistate license with the ability to practice in all Compact states without having to obtain additional licenses.
The APRN Compact would establish multistate compacts that have reciprocity and that do not require additional licensing, while simultaneously helping to improve patient access to quality health care. Additionally, removing the requirement for collaborative practice agreements for licensure purposes through Senate Bill 151 would allow APRNs to practice at the top of their licenses, allowing them to use all their education and training to care for patients.
Read the full letter here and below:
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Alliance submits letter of support for Maryland HB 670 – Study on Expansion of Interstate Telehealth
On February 8, the Alliance for Connected Care submitted a letter of support for Maryland House Bill 670, which would require the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) to study the ways that interstate telehealth can be expanded to allow Maryland residents to use telehealth to receive health services from out-of-state practitioners.
As a telehealth advocacy organization, the Alliance believes that one of the biggest barriers to telehealth becoming a regular patient and provider choice is the administrative burden caused by the variation in licensure requirements from state to state. This bill would allow the state to evaluate the role interstate telehealth can play in addressing health care needs. We believe such a study is critical to help show the value expanding interstate telehealth practice can have on increasing access to care and ensuring continuity of care, particularly for rural and underserved areas and areas experiencing provider shortages.
To read the full letter, click here and see below:
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Alliance Support Letter for Maryland SB 154
The Alliance submitted a letter of support to Sen. Paul G. Pinsky, Chair of the Maryland Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, for Senate bill 154.
Senate Bill 154 would adopt the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Compact. Under this compact, Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) licensed in a Compact member state may practice in another Compact member state, allowing APRNs to have one multistate license with the ability to practice in all Compact states without having to obtain additional licenses.
The APRN Compact would establish multistate compacts that have reciprocity and that do not require additional licensing, while simultaneously helping to improve patient access to quality health care. Additionally, removing the requirement for collaborative practice agreements for licensure purposes through Senate Bill 154 would allow APRNs to practice at the top of their licenses, allowing them to use all their education and training to care for patients.
Read the full letter here and below:
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Alliance Statement on the Introduction of the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act
Legislation by Senators Cortez Masto and Young creates the path to retain patient access to telehealth
WASHINGTON D.C. February 7, 2022 – The Alliance for Connected Care (“The Alliance”) is pleased to support the introduction of the bipartisan Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act (S. 3593) and applauds Senators Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Young (R-IN) for their leadership in drafting this crucial legislation to ensure predictable patient access to telehealth following the end of the public health emergency.
“We call on Congress to take up and pass the Telehealth Evaluation and Extension Act this spring, said Alliance for Connected Care executive director, Krista Drobac. This legislation will provide certainty to beneficiaries and healthcare providers alike, while ensuring sufficient time is taken to analyze the impact of telehealth on patient care throughout the pandemic to inform permanent telehealth reform.”
The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act will establish a 2-year extension of the widely supported telehealth services Congress enacted during the pandemic, while ensuring a thorough evaluation of these services prior to future permanent action by Congress. The legislation also includes extremely important provisions to ensure the continued provision of telehealth services by Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers – and important provisions to ensure continued access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) through telehealth.
Read the full statement here.
Bill text can be found here. A section-by-section summary can be found here. Press release can be found here.
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Stakeholders send letter to Senate HELP Committee leaders urging consideration of addressing state licensing limitations in clinical trials
Today, 17 organizations sent a letter to Senate HELP Committee leaders, urging them to consider addressing state licensing limitations in clinical trials in the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act).
The discussion draft of the PREVENT Pandemics Act was released by Senate HELP Committee leadership last week. This bipartisan legislation is focused on strengthening the nation’s public health and medical preparedness and response systems in the wake of COVID-19.
Section 502 of the PREVENT Pandemics Act is focused on modernizing clinical trials, and would require the FDA to issue three pieces of guidance to modernize and improve clinical trials, including the use of:
- Digital health technologies in clinical trials to help improve recruitment, participation, and data collection.
- Decentralized clinical trials to improve trial participant engagement and advance the use of flexible and novel clinical trial designs.
- Seamless, concurrent, and other innovative clinical trial designs to support the expedited development and review of drugs and biological products.
The letter urges the Committee to consider an additional requirement of the FDA to include in this section in order to address state licensing limitations that effectively prohibit clinicians working on clinical trials from recruiting patients from outside the state in which they are licensed, thereby diminishing the impact of the federal changes aimed at decentralizing clinical trials. This is especially important for rare diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States, for which utilizing clinical trials across state lines, enabled by telehealth, may significantly increase the likelihood of a successful and diverse clinical trial.
To read the full letter, click here or see below:
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