'Telehealth' Bill Launched In House

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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) -- Lawmakers have been pursuing the issue of telemedicine heavily in 2015. Rep. Travis Cummings, R-Orange Park, continued the trend by filing a bill that could help boost what the measure describes as "telehealth."

Cummings' bill (HB 545) on Friday came little more than a week after Senate Health Policy Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, and Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, filed a telemedicine bill (SB 478).

Cummings, Bean, Joyner and other lawmakers are expected to hold a news conference Tuesday to discuss the telemedicine issue.

Members of the House and Senate last year said they supported the use of telemedicine, which involves health-care providers using the Internet and other technology to care for patients remotely. But the two chambers could not agree on regulatory issues.

The new bills filed by Cummings and the two senators also include substantial differences that would have to be worked out during the legislative session that starts March 3rd.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.