Hoosiers use their cell phones and laptops to work, pay bills and connect with friends and loved ones. They are also finding themselves using this technology more and more to receive care from their doctor. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth became a more common way to continue serving patients while also mitigating the spread of the virus. To make this possible, Indiana took steps to cut red tape and allow providers to see patients virtually for certain conditions. Legislation I am supporting this session would work to make some of those temporary changes we saw last spring permeant, and would even expand them to include more health care professionals.
House Bill 1286 would allow certain telehealth appointments to continue and permit more providers to offer this option to patients. Under this legislation, dentists and veterinarians could also utilize this tool to reach Hoosiers. As we continue working on this proposal, my hope is that this list will expand to include more providers to make this service more readily available.
During the spring of 2020, the governor issued an executive order allowing more health care workers to utilize telehealth services to help Hoosiers still take care of their medical needs. According to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, more Hoosiers are showing up for their appointments because they see their doctor via telehealth. The agency reported roughly 350,000 telehealth claims in first half of 2020. This is compared to the 76,000 claims it saw in 2019. Expanding telehealth access could help eliminate barriers Hoosiers face such as transportation or needing to take off work when trying to make these appointments in person.
By cutting some of the red tape during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Hoosiers were able to access their health care provider virtually. This method has proven to be effective, and this legislation has the potential to empower more patients to honor their appointments and seek out the guidance and treatment they need. If you have any input regarding this legislation or how I can better serve our community, please contact my office at H88@iga.in.gov or 317-234-3827.
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State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) represents House District 88,
which includes portions of Marion, Hamilton and Hancock counties.
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