[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 98 (Thursday, July 18, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S7035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CRAPO (for himself and Mr. Conrad):
  S. 2750. A bill to improve the provision of telehealth services under 
the Medicare program, to provide grants for the development of 
telehealth networks, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today to introduce, 
along with Senator Conrad of North Dakota, legislation that would 
greatly enhance the use of telehealth technology to bring badly-needed 
health care services to rural and underserved areas throughout the 
country.
  This bill would allow for greater reimbursement for telehealth 
services under Medicare and calls for a valuable investment in the 
development of new and more advanced telehealth networks in underserved 
areas. Telehealth is the future of rural health care. Access to quality 
health care in rural areas is at a critical stage. Today, many ill and 
disabled people must drive hundreds of miles, often in bad weather on 
dangerous roads, just to receive the most basic of health care. Access 
to specialists is even more prohibitive. However, by using much of the 
same technologies that we use to communicate with our constituents from 
here in Washington, we can bring quality health care, and specialty 
care, to their local health care provider.
  I would like to thank Senator Conrad, who has been a longtime 
supporter of telehealth services, for joining me in introducing this 
important legislation. Our bill would allow a wide variety of health 
care practitioners to provide telehealth services under Medicare. One 
of the biggest challenges for rural practitioners is obtaining the 
resources and infrastructure to provide technologically advanced 
telehealth services. Our bill would also provide valuable resources for 
the development of new telehealth networks in rural and underserved 
areas.
  Technology in America is booming. We must embrace this technology as 
a cost-effective way to improve health care in rural and underserved 
areas. This legislation takes a large step in providing a modest 
investment toward the improvement of rural health care.
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