[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 113 (Wednesday, September 13, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1708-E1709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCING THE REMOTE MONITORING ACCESS ACT OF 2006

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                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 13, 2006

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, we in this country, unfortunately, don't 
always do what's good for us. The benefits of a regular check up are 
well known, but for one reason or another millions of Americans will 
only visit their physician when they think something is serious enough 
that they feel they have no choice.
  I can only imagine how the reluctance to visit a doctor is 
exacerbated for the millions of people in the United States with 
chronic conditions--such as diabetes, congestive heart failure and 
arrhythmia--who need to see their physicians on a regular basis. The 
situation is even worse for seniors who have difficulties moving around 
or lack the means or resources to make frequent trips to the doctor.
  Government statistics show that maintaining mobility is a serious 
challenge for many seniors: Over 20 percent of people 65 and older have 
difficulty going outside the home; approximately 17 percent of men and 
28 percent of women find it very difficult or are unable to walk just 
three city blocks; every 10 years after reaching the age of 65 the odds 
of losing mobility double.
  People who live in rural areas can face serious health care 
consequences because of the lack of easily accessible services. One out 
of every five Americans lives in rural areas; however, only one out of 
every 10 physicians practices in rural areas. Forty percent of our 
rural population lives in a medically underserved area, with access to 
care an average of 30 miles away.
  I'm proud to stand here as a lead sponsor of the Remote Monitoring 
Access Act of 2006 because I believe this legislation will promote 
technologies that have the potential to transform how health care 
providers and their patients--particularly seniors with chronic 
conditions--communicate and manage their conditions.
  Remote monitoring technologies collect, analyze and transmit vital 
patient information to health care providers hundreds of miles away, 
allowing physicians to manage a patient's condition in a more 
consistent and real-time fashion. This technology can not only improve 
the quality of care given to patients, it also reduces the need for 
frequent visits to the doctor's office, costly emergency room visits, 
and unnecessary hospitalizations.
  Remote monitoring technologies allow patients to be in constant 
contact with their doctors without leaving the comfort of their homes. 
For seniors who find travel difficult or hard to afford, this will 
provide welcome relief. Beyond improving quality of life, remote 
monitoring technologies also improve quality of care, as physicians 
will be able to more closely monitor their patients and, by receiving 
more up-to-date information, detect and treat their patients' 
conditions earlier.
  Remote monitoring technologies will bring 21st century health care to 
every individual regardless of their location, mobility, or age. The 
expertise of physicians and specialists and the resources of health 
care institutions will no longer be limited by geographic location but 
can be harnessed to help many more patients.
  Currently, Medicare payments are primarily provided for face-to-face 
meetings between physicians and patients. The current system offers no 
incentives for physicians to adopt remote monitoring technologies even 
though they may provide better clinical information and save physicians 
time.
  In addition, the payments often do not pay for the clinician time 
involved in non-face-to-face interactions that are necessary for 
interpreting and responding to data received via remote monitoring 
technologies.
  Consequently, the Medicare payments may not adequately reflect the 
value of patient management services involving remote monitoring 
technologies.
  The Remote Monitoring Access Act of 2006 will fix this gap in the 
Medicare payment system. This bipartisan legislation would provide 
reimbursement under the Medicare physician fee schedule for remote 
patient management services used to manage specific medical conditions 
such as diabetes, cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure and 
sleep apnea, as well any other condition the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services determines appropriate.
  This bill also requires the HHS Secretary to develop standards of 
care and quality for the remote management services provided for each 
medical condition covered.
  Cardiac arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, is just one of the 
chronic conditions that can be better managed through remote monitoring 
technologies. Cardiac arrhythmias affect more than five million people 
nationwide, and result in more than 1.2 million hospitalizations and 
400,000 deaths each year in the United States atrial fibrillation, the 
most common form of cardiac arrhythmia, is also a leading indicator of 
stroke, with about 15 percent (or 105,000) of strokes occurring in 
people with atrial fibrillation.
  The Remote Patient Monitoring Act will promote greater adoption and 
use of remote monitoring technologies so that patients suffering from 
cardiac arrhythmias, with their physicians, will be able to better 
manage this chronic condition.
  I would like to thank my colleagues, Representative Eshoo, 
Representative Hayworth, and Representative Tanner, for joining with me 
to support this important legislation. I look forward to working with 
other Members of the House to ensure passage of this measure which will 
help millions of patients in the United States have better access to 
the latest medical technology and information.

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