Va Mission Telehealth Clarification Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act, which I am proud to have introduced.

H.R. 3228, the VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act, is a simple bill that builds on the VA MISSION Act's historic expansion of the veterans health system.

One of the most significant parts of the VA MISSION Act was the authorization for the VA to use telehealth and provide care across State lines. The bill began as the result of a visit I had to a VA facility before the current pandemic, as they laid out some of the issues they were trying to overcome. But now with the COVID- 19 pandemic, we are seeing how extremely beneficial these technologies can be for our veterans.

In fact, the VA Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina, which serves part of my district along Georgia's coast, had an over 200 percent increase in telehealth medical services during the pandemic when we spoke in May.

Even more incredibly, the VA announced it had a 1,000 percent increase in telehealth video appointments using its VA Video Connect Program during the first months of the pandemic. This is an extremely important ability for the VA to have. However, the law did not authorize trainees within the VA to use telehealth technologies, only practitioners with a full license.

As telehealth medicine grows in prevalence, we need for interns, residents, and fellows to gain experience using these services, especially considering that many of these trainees later go on to work as doctors at the VA, bringing with them a wealth of experience.

Rather than depending on doctors to learn while on the job, which could delay the rollout of care, this bill would allow trainees to gain experience on telehealth systems while properly supervised by credentialed VA staff.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that the bill was further improved through the committee process after input from my colleagues in the VA. The bill will not only allow for trainees to participate in telehealth, but it will also expand the ability to practice telemedicine to all appropriately qualified healthcare professionals at the VA, fixing the issue once and for all.

While Congress intended for trainees and others to be included from the beginning, the VA's reading of the law did not include them, although they have expressed their desire to include them in telehealth services.

The VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act will give VA the certainty to provide essential telehealth programs to our veterans, improving the quality and timeliness of their care.

Again, this is a commonsense bill with bipartisan support and has received the support from the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and Paralyzed Veterans of America, among others.

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