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Telehealth coverage bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Russell, signed into law

Posted 1/9/15

A bill to require health insurers to pay for telehealth services, sponsored by Assemblywoman Addie Russell, D-Theresa, was recently signed into law. Russell represents much of St. Lawrence County, …

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Telehealth coverage bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Russell, signed into law

Posted

A bill to require health insurers to pay for telehealth services, sponsored by Assemblywoman Addie Russell, D-Theresa, was recently signed into law.

Russell represents much of St. Lawrence County, including all communities along the St. Lawrence Seaway as well as Potsdam and Canton.

Telehealth uses technology to allow patients easy access to doctors and health care professionals they wouldn’t normally be able to access due to distance. The new law requires insurers to cover the cost of these services for policyholders, opening new opportunities to bring much-needed health care to rural and underserved communities.

This was priority legislation of the Rural Resources Commission, which Russell co-chairs with Senator Cathy Young, and it will result in expanding the availability of these services, Russell said.

“Here in the North Country, access to primary care physicians and particularly specialists is seriously limited,” said Russell. “The availability of telehealth services will help ensure our families get the high-quality care they deserve, while reducing costs for essential medical services, travel costs, and the demands of travel.”