New law builds upon work at conference organized by Pacific Basin Telehealth Research Center

Governor Ige, with Rachel Wong, Sen. Roz Baker, Virginia Pressler, and Rep. Della Au Belatti.

Governor David Ige has signed a bill into law that expands coverage in Hawaiʻi for telemedicine services. Senate Bill 2395, Relating to Telehealth, requires the state’s Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service programs to cover services provided through telehealth.

The new law requires that the State’s Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service programs “shall not deny coverage for any service provided through telehealth that would be covered if the service were provided through in-person consultation between a patient and a health care provider.”

Governor Ige said the bill is dear to his heart and his long-running efforts to relieve Hawai’i’s physician shortage, which is especially severe on Hawai’i’s neighbor islands, and which has been the object of several studies conducted by the John A. Burns School of Medicine Hawai’i Area Health Education Center.

Senator Roz Baker, Senate Health Chair, said the new law builds upon the work of a conference last January held at the John A. Burns School of Medicine organized by the Pacific Basin Telehealth Research Center (PBTRC), which is a federally funded program housed within the Social Science Research Institute at UH Mānoa’s College of Social Sciences.

Sixty-five people passionate about telemedicine gathered at the January event for a workshop focused on overcoming barriers to accessing health care. Among those attending was U.S. Senator Brian Schatz and officials who were on hand for the bill's signing: Hawai’i State Health Director Virginia Pressler, MD (JABSOM 1982); State Senator Baker; and State Representative Della Au Belatti, House Health Chair.

Also attending were Deborah Birkmire-Peters, PhD, and Christina Higa, co-directors of PBTRC.  

“This is so significant for Hawai’i,” said Dr. Birkmire-Peters. “Hawai’i now has the one of the most progressive and comprehensive telehealth laws in the country."

Higa added that telehealth is critical for our island state. “Telehealth helps to increase access to health services, improve quality of care, and reduce cost," she said.  "It is wonderful that the Legislature and Governor have advanced telehealth through this enabling law that lifts many of the long-standing barriers and provides opportunities for win-win situations for patients, providers and our communities."

This video of the bill-signing ceremony is from the Governor’s Office.

(Full caption info) Governor Ige signs Senate Bill 2395.  Behind him are, from left, state Department of Human Services Director Rachel Wong, Sen. Roz Baker, State Health Director Virgnia Pressler and Rep. Della Au Belatti.

For more information, visit: http://www.pbtrc.org/