[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6584]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       SERVICEMEMBERS' TELEMEDICINE AND E-HEALTH PORTABILITY ACT 
                             IMPLEMENTATION

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, I worked with 
the Congressional Armed Services Committee to include the 
Servicemembers' Telemedicine and E-Health Portability Act, or STEP Act, 
as part of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.
  The law expands telemedicine at the Department of Defense by allowing 
credentialed care professionals to perform telehealth consultations 
across State lines, which is great news for our servicemembers, 
especially those facing mental illness. Instead of waiting weeks for 
consultation, these men and women can now access care without delay 
while avoiding the stigma that is oftentimes associated with seeking 
treatment.
  Last year, the DOD issued a waiver to expand telemedicine and begin 
implementation. In 2012, the Army was able to perform nearly 36,000 
teleconsultations.
  Despite progress, TRICARE providers were not included in the waiver, 
limiting thousands of professionals from providing services. Second, 
the waiver does not allow servicemembers to use telemedicine from their 
homes, but what better way to avoid the stigma of seeking treatment 
than to access care from the privacy of one's home.
  For our servicemembers to reap the STEP Act's full intended benefit, 
the Pentagon must fully implement this law.

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