[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 76 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5376-S5377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RURAL DEMONSTRATION ACT OF 1997

 Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, today Senator Murkowski and I 
introduced a bill called the Rural Telemedicine Demonstration Act of 
1997.
  As the Senate knows, Senator Murkowski and I represent States where a 
good number of our constituents live in rural areas. Individuals living 
in States like Montana often live in counties that are underserved by 
specialty health care providers.
  Due to new technology made possible by advances in fiber optics, it 
is now easier for rural citizens to be seen by specialty health care 
providers.
  Using this technology, a person living in Culbertson, MT, who would 
normally drive 300 miles for specialty

[[Page S5377]]

medical care in Billings, can now be ``seen'' by a physician via 
telemedicine. But, in order for telemedicine systems to be a success in 
rural States like mine, Medicare must eventually reimburse telemedicine 
providers. This bill is the first step in that direction.

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