Hillary Clinton's Vice President running mate Tim Kaine is a telehealth, ACA leader
Hillary Clinton’s pick for vice president, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine is a longtime proponent of improving healthcare accessibility, not only through the Affordable Care Act and the expansion of Medicaid services, but also telehealth.
As Governor of Virginia, Kaine assisted in the creation of the University of Virginia’s Center for Telehealth, which is widely-considered a model for the telemedicine industry. Founded in 1994, according to University of Virginia officials, the center has since facilitated over 50,000 patient encounters, in more than 40 specialties at about 150 sites throughout the state.
In 2009, Kaine also supported state legislation that would require insurers to cover telemedicine servers. The bill was signed into law by his successor in 2010.
Kaine also worked with Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to donate over $700,000 to Virginia for telehealth services through three Distance Learning and Telemedicine projects to connect rural communities in Southwest Virginia with healthcare experts and clinicians.
It’s no secret that to garner Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ endorsement, Clinton had to modify her plan for healthcare. Her new proposal would expand mandatory healthcare funding by $40 billion over the next 10 years.
In the proposal, Clinton affirmed her commitment to provide Americans with a public-choice insurance option. She also proposed that all individuals at least age 55 should be able to opt into the program.
Kaine himself shares similar views.
“There’s no reason the wealthiest nation in the world should spend more on healthcare than any other nation yet receive second-rate results,” Kaine asserted on his website. “Nor should we dismantle Medicare and Medicaid - critical programs that provide health care and economic security to seniors, persons with disabilities and the most vulnerable.”
Twitter: @JessieFDavis
Email the writer: jessica.davis@himssmedia.com
