Upholding PPACA will have positive impact on development, adoption of telehealth: ATA

According to the American Telemedicine Association, today's Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will have a positive impact on the development and adoption of telehealth.  The ruling will further accelerate the deployment rate for telemedicine, mHealth and other remote healthcare technologies.  

The Association cites four reasons for this projection:

1. The announcement lifts the cloud of uncertainty that has caused many health providers to delay decisions to modernize and invest in such areas as telemedicine and related technologies.

2. Upholding the PPACA protects valuable investments in telemedicine made by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI.)  Over the past two years, the CMMI has invested heavily in telemedicine pilot projects and other remote healthcare services. The funding status for these programs is unaffected.

3. The Court's affirmation does not affect any of the bipartisan drivers behind the growth and adoption of telemedicine, in particular the provisions for managed and accountable care, medical homes, and care coordination.  Telemedicine, as a healthcare delivery service, is crucial to the success of these programs.

4. The fundamental value proposition of telemedicine remains strong.  Telemedicine has consistently proven to deliver a wide-range of quality, cost-effective healthcare services, anywhere at any time.  Moreover, telemedicine enjoys high levels of patient satisfaction and customer demand.  

"Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, we can move forward with the modernization of our healthcare delivery system, integrating telemedicine to improve care, reduce costs and increase access for everyone in America," said Jonathan Linkous, Chief Executive Officer of the American Telemedicine Association. "ATA will continue to work with Federal and state legislators from both parties, as well as all public and private payers, to adopt these proven, valued technologies into our healthcare system."