Technology is moving faster than the pace of lawmakers in Virginia. But some are hoping to catch up to the latest trends in telemedicine.
Imagine you need to see a doctor ASAP. So you launch an app on your smartphone and FaceTime with a doctor who writes you a prescription. Easy enough, right? Not if that doctor happens to be in Connecticut or California.
Delegate Terry Kilgore of Southwest Virginia says doctors shouldn’t need to have a Virginia license to see Virginia patients.
“You gotta realize I live on the border of Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky," he says. "So a lot of my constituents are already traveling to other states to get care.”
Hold on a second, says Delegate Patrick Hope, a Democrat from Arlington. He says Virginia patients should see doctors who have a Virginia license.
“What would prevent you from having a doctor in India to see patients? I just think that we have accepted best practices here in the state," he claims. "We have a licensing board to make sure that everyone is credentialed the way we treat people in Virginia, and it should stay within Virginia.”
Kilgore is hoping his bill might allow for more telemedicine, especially in rural parts of Virginia. But doctors in Virginia might push back against competition from other states.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
