Verizon, WellPoint, CVS, Walgreens Ally With Former Senators To Push Telehealth Policy Reform

A cohort of big players in connected health is joining three former senators in pursuit of policy that supports broad use of telehealth and remote patient monitoring.

Former U.S. Senate majority leaders Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.), along with former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), are heading up the Alliance for Connected Care, which launches today.

With the help of board members including Verizon, WellPoint, CVS, Walgreens, Teladoc and HealthSpot, the goal is to advocate for better access to and reimbursement for care delivered remotely.

The American Telemedicine Association says half of all hospitals use some form of telemedicine today. The Veterans Affairs Department has been somewhat of a pioneer, investing $500 million last year on technology to enable remote care of veterans.