ST. PAUL – State Representative Joe Schomacker (R-Luverne), who chairs the Minnesota House Aging and Long Term Care Policy Committee, has co-authored a letter calling on Minnesota's congressional delegation to support allowing a Medicare reimbursement extension to cover telemedicine services.
"Last session Republicans and Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature approved a law bringing telemedicine options to those utilizing their own private plans and Medical Assistance," Schomacker said. "Now we need our federal representation to step up and do the right thing by allowing Minnesota's Medicare patients to have those same choices."
The new law Schomacker helped pass during the 2015 session requires private insurance companies to reimburse providers for telemedicine services. It also expands telemedicine opportunities for Medical Assistance (MA) recipients to include coverage for consultations and medically necessary services at the full allowable rate.
Shomacker said expanding Medicare coverage to include new technology like telemedicine would bring more medical choices to aging Minnesotans on Medicare in our rural areas.
"Making this change would give many of our aging residents more access to top specialists and medical providers," Schomacker said. "That's why it's critical that we expand telemedicine access in rural Minnesota for the members of the greatest generation who are on Medicare."
Schomacker was one of more than 20 Greater Minnesota lawmakers who penned the letter to our congressional leaders.