Veterans Telemedicine Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program of: (1) teleconsultation for the provision of remote mental health and traumatic brain injury assessments in facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that are not otherwise able to provide such assessments without contracting with third party providers or reimbursing providers through a fee basis system, and (2) teleretinal imaging in each Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN). Requires the Secretary to modify the Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) system to provide incentives for such programs, telemedicine, and telehealth coordination services.
Defines: (1) "teleconsultation" as the use of telecommunications by a health care specialist to assist another health care provider in rendering a diagnosis or treatment; (2) "teleretinal imaging" as the use by a health care specialist of telecommunications, digital retinal imaging, and remote image interpretation to provide eye care; and (3) "telehealth" as the use of telecommunications to collect patient data remotely and send data to a monitoring station for interpretation.
Directs the Secretary to require each VA facility involved in training medical residents to work with each university concerned to develop an elective rotation in telemedicine for such residents.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1124 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1124
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the utilization of
teleconsultation, teleretinal imaging, telemedicine, and telehealth
coordination services for the provision of health care to veterans, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 26, 2011
Mr. Conrad introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the utilization of
teleconsultation, teleretinal imaging, telemedicine, and telehealth
coordination services for the provision of health care to veterans, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Telemedicine Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. TELECONSULTATION AND TELEMEDICINE.
(a) Teleconsultation and Teleretinal Imaging.--
(1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 17 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 1709. Teleconsultation and teleretinal imaging
``(a) Teleconsultation.--(1) The Secretary shall carry out a
program of teleconsultation for the provision of remote mental health
and traumatic brain injury assessments in facilities of the Department
that are not otherwise able to provide such assessments without
contracting with third party providers or reimbursing providers through
a fee basis system.
``(2) The Secretary shall, in consultation with appropriate
professional societies, promulgate technical and clinical care
standards for the use of teleconsultation services within facilities of
the Department.
``(b) Teleretinal Imaging.--(1) The Secretary shall carry out a
program of teleretinal imaging in each Veterans Integrated Services
Network (VISN).
``(2) In each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2010 and
ending with fiscal year 2015, the Secretary shall increase the number
of patients enrolled in each teleretinal imaging program under
paragraph (1) by not less than five percent from the number of patients
enrolled in each respective program in the previous fiscal year.
``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `teleconsultation' means the use by a health
care specialist of telecommunications to assist another health
care provider in rendering a diagnosis or treatment.
``(2) The term `teleretinal imaging' means the use by a
health care specialist of telecommunications, digital retinal
imaging, and remote image interpretation to provide eye
care.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended by inserting
after the item related to section 1708 the following new item:
``1709. Teleconsultation and teleretinal imaging.''.
(b) Training in Telemedicine.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall require each Department of Veterans Affairs facility that is
involved in the training of medical residents to work with each
university concerned to develop an elective rotation in telemedicine
for such residents.
(c) Enhancement of VERA.--
(1) Incentives for provision of teleconsultation,
teleretinal imaging, telemedicine, and telehealth services.--
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall modify the Veterans
Equitable Resource Allocation system to provide incentives for
the utilization of teleconsultation, teleretinal imaging,
telemedicine, and telehealth coordination services.
(2) Inclusion of telemedicine visits in workload
reporting.--The Secretary shall modify the Veterans Equitable
Resource Allocation system to require the inclusion of all
telemedicine visits in the calculation of facility workload.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Teleconsultation and teleretinal imaging.--The terms
``teleconsultation'' and ``teleretinal imaging'' have the
meanings given such terms in section 1720G of title 38, United
States Code, as added by subsection (a).
(2) Telemedicine.--The term ``telemedicine'' means the use
by a health care provider of telecommunications to assist in
the diagnosis or treatment of a patient's medical condition.
(3) Telehealth.--The term ``telehealth'' means the use of
telecommunications to collect patient data remotely and send
data to a monitoring station for interpretation.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.
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