BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) - Maine Sen. Angus King says he’s getting behind a drive to expand telehealth service in Medicare.

King, an independent, is supporting the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies for Health Act, also called the CONNECT for Health Act. He says the proposal would make it easier for patients to connect with health care providers, and it would reduce costs for both patients and providers.

King says the proposal would be especially beneficial for residents of rural communities where access to face-to-face visits with caregivers can be difficult. He says the bill’s designed to expand provisions of a previous act that expands use of telehealth in accountable care organizations and Medicare Advantage.

The CONNECT act would also grow use of remote monitoring for some patients with chronic conditions.

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