I do not understand why Medicaid is refusing to cover its own recipients in the same way that private insurance covers patients who use telemedicine services and providers. Virginia Medicaid needs to change its policy immediately and cover these medical services. After all, the entire purpose of expanding Medicaid coverage (and Medicaid in general) is to help provide healthcare for those who cannot afford coverage. Implicit in that is making it affordable for these patients. What better way to hold down costs and make health care more available at the same time than to allow people to use technology for health care where it is applicable?

Furthermore, private insurance covers telemedicine. There should be no double standard in insurance coverage, whether private or public, especially since there are no apparent administrative, financial or medical hinderances to allow for the Medicaid reimbursement. In fact, there is nothing but positives in it -- more coverage, lower costs, greater access and more convenience. Please allow for Medicaid to reimbursement for telemedicine provider services. Simply add willing telemedicine providers, who want to help these patients, to those whom Medicaid reimburses.The people, through their lawmakers, overwhelmingly agreed to provide this new and very helpful service. I respectfully ask that the will of the people, and the needs of Medicaid patients, be honored. 

Steve Rossie

513 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard No.18

Richmond, Va. 23220-3344