During a ceremony at the State Capitol on June 2nd, Governor Bill Owens signed SB 165 and SB 4 into law. Shown with him above are SB 165 sponsors Sen. Bob Hagedorn (D-Aurora), far left, and Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma), second from right, and SB 4 sponsor Sen. Shawn Mitchell (R-Broomfield), far right. Rep. Gwyn Green (D-Jefferson County), second from left, also was present for the bill-signing.

Senate Bill 165, co-sponsored by 23 Senators and 27 Representatives -- 50 percent of the total Colorado General Assembly, allows Medicaid providers to be reimbursed for telemedicine services just the same as if those services were rendered in person. This helps assure that Medicaid patients in rural Colorado receive the same level of care as patients in urban areas.

Owens said, "Our rural communities continue to face a challenge when it comes to obtaining health care. Telemedicine means better access to state-of-the-art care in communities where finding specialized help is often difficult. Through telemedicine, we can provide remote examination, diagnosis and even surgical assistance."

The bill also initiates a telemedicine "Best practices" pilot program for Medicaid patients suffering from chronic disease, such as congestive heart failure, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Through a pilot program, the state will be able to provide some of these patients with tools they need to improve health and reduce the need for costly emergency room visits. Savings identified from the pilot programs will be made available for use in paying for home and community based services, community-based long term care, and home health services.

Senate Bill 4 requires the Department of Corrections to study how telemedicine can be used to improve medical services for inmates in state correctional facilities and report the finding to the legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.

"We are already seeing the effectiveness of telemedicine in many areas of our state. It only makes sense to determine the benefits this technology could have in our correctional facilities. I believe it holds great potential for saving taxpayer dollars while increasing the quality of care for state inmates," Owens said.

In addressing the news media at the bill signing, Owens told how he was made aware of the power of Telemedicine a number of years ago while at a conference on health issues in Moscow, Russia. He learned that one of the Russian participants had a son who was dying of renal failure. A representative of the CU School of Medicine who was participating in the conference with Owens helped arrange a consultation with a research facility in Germany. The boy, who was identified as terminal in Russia, was saved by a relatively simple procedure, Owens said, all of which was arranged through telecommunications and technology. The Governor said he has been a solid supporter of technology and telemedicine ever since.

HCAC has been a champion of telemedicine in Colorado, being lead promoters of SB 165. In 2004, the association developed and promoted Senate Joint Resolution 38, Concerning the Use of Technology and Electronic Monitoring Devices (Telehealth Care) in the Delivery of Health Care Services in the Home. This resolution has been instrumental in the growing support for Telemedicine.

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