STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER ROBERT M. McDOWELL REGARDING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY PRESENTATION Many thanks to Julie, Linda, and their incredibly talented teams for their diligence in finding ways to advance the use of health technologies. Early in my first term as a Commissioner, I learned first-hand how important telemedicine is to patients, especially in the most remote parts of rural America. My first trip as a Commissioner was to Alaska. There, I was able to see how medical images from the distant corners of our least-densely populated state were transmitted to specialists in Anchorage. Such remarkable technologies allow patients to avoid expensive, and sometimes treacherous, plane rides. As such, I have always wanted to find ways to improve the universal service rural health care program, and I commend the Chairman again for his leadership in crafting the reform order that we adopted in December. Also, for many years, I have maintained that the Commission should find ways to make it easier for cutting-edge technologies to be used by the health care profession and consumers. Being able to use the latest technology will make it easier for doctors to monitor homebound patients’ health, and will fundamentally improve the everyday lives of those with paralyzed limbs. I appreciate receiving this valuable update and look forward to working with my colleagues to find additional ways that we can streamline and remove regulatory barriers that will improve consumers’ access to health care through innovation.