Shackleford healthcare pilot program advances to governor for final approval

For immediate release:
March 12, 2014

STATEHOUSE – Hoosiers in both rural and urban communities will soon be able to seek medical consultations without ever having to leave their place of employment, thanks to legislation authored by State Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) that is on its way to Governor Mike Pence for final approval.

The Indiana House unanimously passed a Conference Committee Report on House Bill 1258 today, which will call on the Medical Licensing Board to enact a pilot program to allow caregivers to treat patients without requiring people to travel to their healthcare providers for treatment.

“These pilot programs will allow caregivers to deliver the right care, in the right setting, at the right time, in a way that is convenient and affordable,” said Shackleford. “It’s a great program that will help both consumers and healthcare practitioners transition into aligning their practices with the Affordable Care Act.”

The pilot program would enable people to enter a “pod” at their workplace or another designated site. This pod will provide a connection via video, audio and other technology that will allow patients to converse with their physician, as well as tools that allow medical professionals to take vital signs of patients without having to be physically present.

“In these situations, doctors would have their immediate access to a patients’ medical history and would be able to converse with them in addition to having the ability to make a diagnosis and write prescriptions, all without requiring patients to travel to their doctor’s office,” Shackleford said.

Currently, several large Indiana health employers are waiting to test the pilot program within their facilities and plan to implement the program later this year.

Shackleford said that other companies are interested in being a part of the program as well and she is hopeful that it will expand at the conclusion of the pilot based on its projected positive outcomes.

“This plan has had unanimous bipartisan support and has been backed by the governor as a way to provide better treatment for Hoosiers and elevate the relationship between doctors and their patients,” said Shackleford.