Dogtown Media Supports CHRONIC Care Act Provisions to Improve Telehealth

Dogtown Media is always striving to push the cusp of what’s possible with mobile app development. That’s why we’re extremely proud to announce our support of the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act.

Provisions to this bill are currently making their way through the Senate. If passed, these stipulations could change the way we approach telehealth and revolutionize MedTech app development as we know it.

A Necessary Step to Advance Healthcare

On October 31, 2017, a public letter supporting the CHRONIC Care Act bill was sent to the U.S. House of Representatives. Along with Mayo Clinic, Novartis, and numerous other organizations, Dogtown Media signed the letter addressed to House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

The letter urges the House to swiftly consider and pass telehealth provisions to the CHRONIC Care Act. The Senate unanimously approved the CHRONIC Care Act last month. If these new provisions to the bill are passed, Medicare beneficiaries suffering from numerous chronic conditions (two-thirds of all Medicare beneficiaries) will receive better care that allows them to manage their health in a more viable manner.

Currently, 93 percent of Medicare funding goes towards chronic illness treatment. Through the expansion of technological innovation, streamlining of care coordination, and improved disease management, the CHRONIC Care Act could reduce Medicare and Medicaid spending by as much as $217 million between 2018 to 2022.

Greater Implications

The CHRONIC Care Act basically amends several sections of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. Title XVIII specifically focuses on Medicare. If approved, provisions would allow for senior citizens with chronic conditions to receive necessary specialized care in the comfort of their own home. Medicare Advantage plans would also be able to tailor treatment plans for patient groups as opposed to sticking to cookie-cutter regulations.

Lastly, the provisions would update laws surrounding telehealth, allowing tech innovators more freedom to roll out new mobile health solutions. These solutions could potentially allow care providers to remotely monitor the health of their patients, have video check-ups, and interpret test results even if they are miles away. 

A Brighter Future for Telehealth

These provisions will have grander implications than just allowing developers in San Francisco more freedom to come up with a zany app idea to base their new startup off of. In a complex field like medicine, rules are rigid and progressive change is hard to come by.

Years from now, the CHRONIC Care Act could be viewed as the linchpin that allowed for technology to be utilized to its full potential in medicine. Eventually, whether you’re young or old, everybody requires medical treatment. It’s a fact of life. So, the importance of these provisions cannot be understated. A better future can come quicker if we allow it. We just have to convince others that we’re ready to make it happen.