|
Good
morning,
It’s
my
firm
belief
that
Congress
has
an
incredible
responsibility
to
ensure
we
live
up
to
the
promises
made
to
our
veterans.
As
you
and
I
know,
our
men
and
women
in
uniform
have
selflessly
sacrificed
in
defense
of
our
freedoms,
and
our
way
of
life.
We
must
ensure
that
our
veterans
are
prepared
to
transition
back
to
civilian
life.
They
deserve
nothing
less
than
the
benefits
they
were
promised
and
a
quality
of
care
we
can
all
be
proud
of.
Recently,
bipartisan
legislation
that
I
introduced,
known
as
the
Veterans
E-Health
&
Telemedicine
Support
(VETS)
Act
unanimously
passed
the
Senate.
This
legislation
seeks
to
improve
health
care
access
for
disabled
or
rural
veterans
by
expanding
telehealth
services
–
including
mental
health
treatment
-
provided
by
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA).
I
thought
these
efforts
might
be
of
interest
to
you.
If
so,
please
continue
reading
below
to
hear
more
about
the
VETS
Act.
The
Bipartisan
VETS
Act
Passed
the
Senate:
What
it
Means
for
Iowa
Veterans
What
is
the
VETS
Act?
I
first
introduced
this
bipartisan
legislation
with
Democratic
Senator
Mazie
Hirono
of
Hawaii,
in
2015.
The
VETS
Act
seeks
to
improve
health
care
access
–
including
mental
health
treatment
–
for
disabled
or
rural
veterans
by
expanding
telehealth
services
provided
by
the
VA
by
allowing
VA
health
officials
to
practice
telemedicine
across
state
lines
if
they
are
qualified
and
practice
within
the
scope
of
their
authorized
federal
duties.
Additionally,
the
legislation
ensures
the
VA
and
Congress
provide
oversight
of
the
VA’s
telehealth
program
by
requiring
the
VA
to
measure
program
effectiveness.
How
will
the
VETS
Act
help
Iowa
veterans?
Iowa
is
home
to
more
than
200,000
veterans,
many
of
whom
reside
in
more
rural
areas,
distant
from
Iowa’s
VA
facilities.
Telehealth
offers
another
way
in
which
we
can
provide
veterans
the
care
they
need,
including
critical,
and
potentially
lifesaving
mental
health
care.
The
VETS
Act
will
ensure
that
veterans
can
receive
the
timely
and
quality
care
they
deserve
from
the
comfort
of
their
own
homes.
What
is
telehealth?
As
defined
by
the
Veterans
Health
Administration
telehealth
is,
“the
wider
application
of
care
and
case
management
principles
to
the
delivery
of
health
care
services
using
health
informatics,
disease
management
and
telehealth
technologies
to
facilitate
access
to
care
and
improve
the
health
of
designated
individuals
and
populations
with
the
intent
of
providing
the
right
care
in
the
right
place
at
the
right
time.” In
other
words,
the
VETS
Act
would
allow
veterans
to
communicate
with
doctors
across
state
lines,
from
the
comfort
of
their
own
homes
through
means
such
as
the
internet.
Telehealth
is
an
innovative
and
important
way
to
meet
the
wide-ranging
needs
of
veterans
in
Iowa
and
nationwide,
including
the
invisible
struggles
of
mental
health
care.
Will
the
VETS
Act
save
Iowa
veterans
money?
Telehealth
is
one
of
the
VA’s
major
transformational
initiatives,
and
the
number
of
veterans
utilizing
telehealth
services
continues
to
climb.
In
fact,
in
Fiscal
Year
2016,
more
than
12
percent
of
veterans
received
elements
of
their
care
through
telehealth
services. Of
the
veterans
that
utilized
telehealth
services,
45%
lived
in
rural
areas.
According
to
the
VA, approximately
90% percent
of
veterans
who
utilized
the
VA’s
telehealth
services
were
satisfied
with
the
care
they
received.
Telehealth
services
are
effective
and
affordable
as
veterans
save
on
average
$2,000
per
year
in
health
care
related
costs,
including
travel
to
a
VA
medical
facility.
How
is
the
VETS
Act
different
from
current
law?
Under
current
law,
the
VA
may
only
waive
the
state
license
requirement
for
telehealth
services
if
both
the
patient
and
physician
are
located
in
a
federally
owned
facility.
In
addition,
the
VA
may
only
perform
at-home
telehealth
care
when
the
patient
and
physician
are
located
in
the
same
state.
These
barriers
are
a
deterrent
for
disabled
or
rural
veterans
who
are
seeking
treatment
from
a
physician
in
another
state,
in
some
cases
forcing
veterans
to
travel
great
lengths
to
a
federal
facility
before
receiving
telehealth
services
by
camera
or
phone.
The
VETS
Act
would
address
these
deficiencies
by
allowing
qualified
VA
health
professionals
to
operate
across
state
lines
and
conduct
telehealth
services,
including
mental
health
care
treatment,
for
veterans
from
the
comfort
and
privacy
of
their
own
homes.
VETS
Act
in
the
News
 |
| Watch
WQAD's
report
on
my
bipartisan
VETS
Act
here
or
by
clicking
on
the
image
above. |
A
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Thank
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