Telemedicine Breakthrough for Parkinson’s Sufferers

For no good reason other than technical incompetence, I failed to to share some important news this week about telemedicine and Parkinson’s disease.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday an executive order that dramatically expands the ability of seniors to access medical care remotely through telemedicine.

In March, the administration announced that Medicare would begin broadly reimbursing providers for virtual services. The program now covers more than 135 medical services through telemedicine, wrote Washington Post health expert Karen Tumulty.

Prior to March, telemedicine was not widely available due to restrictions based on where a patient lived  and the credentials of a healthcare provider to practice in that distance state.

This monumental changed is of special note to  Parkinson’s sufferers like me who confront a shortage of Parkinson’s PT experts in their home state. For example the 23 counties of middle Georgia lack a single, practicing Mobility Disease Specialist (MDS).

Now a patient in Macon GA , for example, can have a telemedicine “office” visit with an MDS in at the University of Florida. There’s an entire new playing field to bring expert services to remote areas.

For no good reason other than technical incompetence, I failed to to share some important news this week about telemedicine and Parkinson’s disease.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday an executive order that dramatically expands the ability of seniors to access medical care remotely through telemedicine.

In March, the administration announced that Medicare would begin broadly reimbursing providers for virtual services. The program now covers more than 135 medical services through telemedicine, wrote Washington Post health expert Karen Tumulty.

Prior to March, telemedicine was not widely available due to restrictions based on where a patient lived  and the credentials of a healthcare provider to practice in that distance state.

This monumental changed is of special note to  Parkinson’s sufferers like me who confront a shortage of Parkinson’s PT experts in their home state. For example the 23 counties of middle Georgia lack a single, practicing Mobility Disease Specialist (MDS).

Now a patient in Macon GA , for example, can have a telemedicine “office” visit with an MDS in at the University of Florida. There’s an entire new playing field to bring expert services to remote areas.