State lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow more people to get health care closer to their homes.

Senate Bill 780, also known as The Telemedicine Act, was introduced last week and passed by the Senate's banking and insurance committee before moving to the Senate floor.

Telemedicine is the practice of providing care for a patient through a phone conversation, video-chat or other technology.

The Telemedicine Act was introduced by state Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47th, and is co-sponsored by Sen. Don White, R-41st.

It is designed to promote telemedicine and remove barriers from care for people who live in remote areas.

Under the proposal, health care practitioners would be able to do diagnoses, prevention, treatment, cure or relief of any health condition, injury, disease or illness.

“I want to try to improve access to care for more of our residents in rural Pennsylvania. Also, I want to try and reduce costs for better management of chronic diseases and shorter hospital stays and less emergency room visits,” Vogel said about the bill.

The bill also establishes that if an in-person service is covered by insurance, its telemedicine equivalent must also be covered.

Butler Health System has offices in Seneca, in Venango County and New Castle, where patients can do remote visits with specialists instead of traveling to Butler.

Cindy Esser, director of emerging technologies for BHS, said the service has been offered for the past two years.

Patients can see electrophysiology, endocrinology and pulmonology specialists through telemedicine. BHS is planning to add more specialists in the future too.

At the remote facilities, doctors and patients can talk via video chat and also listen to heart and lung sounds and take other readings using equipment there.

The main advantage is the convenience, Esser said. Driving 50 miles or more for a doctor's appointment can be burdensome or impossible for some people.

“For patients that have to come all the way to the hospital, it could be a full day with travel time, their visit and weather or other factors,” she said.

Medicare and most private insurers already cover telemedicine, but some don't, which is where the bill could make a difference.

“That would be a great stride if that bill gets passed,” Esser said.

The bill is also supported by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Medical Society and AARP, according to Vogel's office.