[ORTCCTelehealth-TAO] Fwd: Urgent Announcement -- Help Fix the Telehealth Credentialing Problem

[Catherine Britain]

Please read and consider signing on...The window for response is very short!

Thanks,
Cathy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Telehealth Leadership Initiative <info at telehealthleadership.org>
Date: Thu, Jul 16, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Subject: Urgent Announcement -- Help Fix the Telehealth Credentialing
Problem
To: csbritain at gmail.com


          *URGENT *
* Telehealth News Update  *



[image: TLI logo]
*Telehealth Leadership Initiative*











































*Telehealth Leadership Initiative*

1500 K Street, NW
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
www.telehealthleadership.org

*Urgent Announcement -- Help Fix the Credentialing Problem. Sign-on to this
Letter!*

Telehealth discussions are ongoing as the health care reform effort
continues in Congress.  Fixing the credentialing issue is one of the top
priorities on the agenda for telehealth supporters in Congress.  The major
telehealth bill, HR 2068, the *Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act of
2009,*introduced by telehealth champion, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA),
included a
provision which mandated the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) to accept the Joint Commission's telemedicine guidelines for
compliance with the CMS's Conditions of Participation for credentialing
physicians.

The good news is that we believe this credentialing fix is receiving some
traction in the discussions of what will be included in the House of
Representatives' health care reform bill.

In the very near future, Congress will ask the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) their opinion on this credentialing issue.  When that
happens, we want the Secretary to understand the magnitude of this
credentialing problem.

TLI is sending the letter below to HHS to make it clear the crippling impact
that CMS's decision is having on telehealth providers.  When the relevant
officials at HHS gather to discuss this issue, we want this letter to be in
their hands.

If you share the concern that this credentialing issue could seriously
impact the delivery of telehealth, you can do your part to help fix this
problem by signing onto this letter.

Please do it now! Time is of the essence.  This letter must be sent to HHS
in the next 24-36 hours.   Act now!

Please click here<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102642156191&s=4441&e=001G9BK3KtPTVO5tjMrsRKWFvkw7r67c1O_UoCI6yIpmI01eGbAwTc6myQriG6mhrpkEfYIKqNaWDSXqhDqfZjrncSNdVxgOnYE43pxbZsb4cgFzLxCuPo5FpZgJdXSbsq-keyiTrEKRrKdmf_IbY78uw==>to
sign this letter.

Contact TLI at *info at telehealthleadership.org* should you need further
information or have questions.


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-- 
Catherine S. Britain
csbritain at gmail.com
541-910-7366
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