Supreme Court ruling bodes well for telemedicine

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Remote healthcare got a lift from the Supreme Court's recent ruling on healthcare reform, according to one professional organization. Read why, and what might be in store.

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will quicken the pace of deployment of telemedicine, mobile health, and other technologies enabling remote healthcare, predicts the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).

“Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, we can move forward with the modernization of our healthcare delivery system, integrating telemedicine to improve care, reduce costs, and increase access for everyone in America,” says Jonathan Linkous, chief executive officer of the nonprofit organization. “ATA will continue to work with federal and state legislators from both parties, as well as all public and private payers, to adopt these proven, valued technologies into our healthcare system.”

The ATA is convinced that the future is bright for telemedicine because:

1. Providers will be willing to invest in telemedicine and related technologies now that the court’s opinion and the direction of healthcare reform are clear.

2. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation already has invested heavily in telemedicine pilot projects and other remote healthcare services, the funding for which is unaffected by the court’s ruling.

3. Telemedicine is a key part of healthcare delivery in managed and accountable care, medical homes, and care coordination programs, which are becoming more prevalent.

4. Telemedicine expands the healthcare system’s ability to provide a wide range of services regardless of place or time. According to the ATA, such services are cost-effective and satisfy patient demand.

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