Telemedicine: Follow the Money

Until the late 1990s, e private and public third-party payers generally did not have explicit policies to pay for telehealth services. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 signaled a significant change in Medicare payment policies opening the door for telemedicine reimbursement. This article traces the development of current Medicare telemedicine payment policies, beginning with the BBA of 1997 and including current medicare payment legislation. Issues related to telemedicine payment by both Medicare and other third party payers are presented; implication for the future, and the role of the nursing community are discussed.