American Telemedicine Association News

Earlier this month, ATA hosted the inaugural ATA State Telemedicine Policy Summit in Austin, TX. Over 250 people, including state legislators, government administrators and other key stakeholders, participated in this event, where a number of important state-centered policy topics were covered. Join ATA's policy team for this special videocast, as they provide an executive summary of the Summit and discuss other major issues facing the telemedicine industry. They'll also answer questions from the viewing audience.

On May 2nd, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed into law 4 telemedicine bills.

The ATA Meetings App is an easy and convenient way to navigate ATA 2013 on your smartphone and tablet devices. The app includes all the resources you need to make the most of your participation in ATA 2013: an interactive schedule of events, speaker slides, exhibitor profiles, attendee lists, program evaluations, city entertainment information and more.

Over the last month, we have seen several major public policy developments related to telemedicine, at both the state and federal level. Several more states have passed telemedicine bills into law and a lot of action is taking place within Congress and the federal agencies. Learn the details and discover how these developments will impact the practice and industry of telemedicine in this free, one-hour update from ATA. Our public policy experts will review the major issues of the month, provide analysis on the news and outline new opportunities and challenges created by the changing policy environment. There will also be time to answer viewers' questions on air.

The American Telemedicine Association hosted a webinar on April 17th to discuss telemedicine as a cost-effective and quality improvement tool for healthcare, as well as describe some of the barriers and key components to sound telemedicine policy

ATA 2013 is pleased to host the 7th Annual Pediatric Telehealth Colloquium. This event, the leading academic symposium on telemedicine and pediatric medicine, is also co-sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The ATA 2013 Industry Executive Sessions give you an opportunity to learn and connect with corporate leaders who are shaping the market for telemedicine. Key executives from the top product and service providers tackle industry issues and discuss future directions for telemedicine and mHealth. Find out where the market is going and discover the "next big thing" in telemedicine!

Arizona and Montana are the latest states to sign into law requirements for private insurers to cover healthcare services provided via telemedicine comparable to that of in-person services.

New Mexico has become the seventeenth state to enact a law requiring private health insurance plans to provide coverage for telemedicine services to the same extent that the services would be covered if they were provided in-person.

Mississippi has become the sixteenth state to enact a law requiring health insurance plans to provide coverage for telemedicine services to the same extent that the services would be covered if they were provided in-person.

The American Telemedicine Association strongly supports the proposed Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act (H.R. 2001,) lauding it as a key step in improving healthcare quality by minimizing regulatory barriers for interstate telemedicine.

The American Telemedicine Association has named the winners of its prestigious annual awards and announced the election of two new members to the ATA College of Fellows. Award winners and fellows will formally accept their honors at the ATA 2013 Annual Meeting and Trade Show, May 5-7, 2013 in Austin, TX.

The American Telemedicine Association has announced the keynote speakers for it's upcoming Annual Meeting and Trade Show. The three speakers represent key stakeholders in the field of telemedicine: healthcare providers, technology vendors and payers.

The American Telemedicine Association is pleased to announce a panel of leading healthcare capital investors and strategic partners as part of the inaugural ATA Telemedicine Venture Fair, to be held Sunday, May 5, 2013 in Austin, TX. The panelists will share strategies for attracting capital, as well as key indicators for making strategic investments in—and partnerships with—healthcare technology start-ups.

Medicare beneficiaries in 97 counties—across 36 states and territories—are slated to lose telehealth benefits because of updated federal delineations of Standards Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The American Telemedicine Association urges Congress to amend federal statute and ensure that existing beneficiaries will not lose coverage for these life-saving services.

ATA is soliciting comments related to its proposed Practice Guidelines for Video-Based Online Mental Health Services. All interested parties are encouraged to submit their feedback during the 30 day comment period, ending April 21.

The American Telemedicine Association has named entertainer Jennifer Lopez and the Lopez Family Foundation as winners of the inaugural ATA Humanitarian Award, for charity healthcare services delivered by telemedicine.

The ATA Telemedicine Venture Fair, to be held on Sunday, May 5, 2013, in Austin, Texas, will provide training, structured networking, and opportunities for collaboration between telemedicine start-ups and established venture investors.

“This Month in Telemedicine” is a free videocast, open to ATA both members and non-members, as part of ATA’s ongoing mission to promote the full global deployment of telemedicine technologies and services.

CMS has published a new code (G0459) which guarantees coverage for psychiatrists and prescribing psychologists who provide rounds for patients with mental disorders in rural hospitals.