Connected Health - US Government

US Government

Government agencies involved in connected health include:

• The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to the extent that Medicaid reimburses for telemedicine programs, at the state's option. According to the CMS Web site, at least 18 states are allowing reimbursement for services provided via telemedicine for reasons that include improved access to specialists for rural communities and reduced transportation costs.
• The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is charged with creating an interoperable health information technology infrastructure for the nation. That infrastructure has been primarily defined as an electronic health records system, however, former National Coordinator David Brailer indicated his support for personal health records that are portable and controlled by consumers. It remains to be seen how his successor, Robert Kolodner, will interpret this charge.