ST. PAUL, MN—Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, is among more than twenty Greater Minnesota legislators calling for federal legislation to expand telemedicine coverage for Minnesotans on Medicare. A letter sent Friday to all ten members of Minnesota's congressional delegation urged support for Medicare reimbursement to be extended to cover telemedicine services.
The letter comes in light of legislation passed during the 2015 session that requires private insurance companies to reimburse providers for telemedicine services. The new law also expands telemedicine opportunities for Medical Assistance (MA) recipients to include coverage for consultations and medically necessary services at the full allowable rate.
Expanding telemedicine coverage for Medicare would bring increased access to top specialists and providers for aging Minnesotans on Medicare in Greater Minnesota who may find it logistically or financially difficult to come to the Twin Cities or to Rochester.
Representative Kresha issued the following statement regarding the letter and the urgent need to expand telemedicine access:
"Telemedicine is an exciting new development in health care that in the future can bring the expertise of the best doctors and specialists in the world to every corner of Minnesota. The Minnesota legislature passed bipartisan legislation this year to expand this technology, and it's our hope that Congress will follow and make sure every Minnesotan can take advantage of this technology and help improve our health care system by decreasing costs and giving more people access to quality care."
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