Disabled Parking And Telemedicine In 2019: All You Need To Know

Telemedicine has become very popular over the last few years in the United States, and it’s becoming more popular all the time. Technology is getter better and better at a rapid rate and this is opening up a world of amazing possibilities in the realm of health care. In the past, when telecommunications technology was non-existent or very basic, receiving medical care was often a very time-consuming undertaking, involving long journeys and multiple hours spent in hospital emergency rooms or doctors’ surgeries. But now that mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are super-fast and efficient, and broadband technology is ubiquitous and powerful, medical consultations of many types can be carried out remotely using telemedicine apps.

These developments in telemedicine technology are excellent news for people with disabilities who either already hold disabled parking placard or plates, or who want to go through the necessary procedures to get a placard so they can begin to avail of their state’s disabled parking program. Like in so many areas of medicine, telemedicine has made applying for and using disabled parking in the U.S. much easier than ever before. Here is all you need to know about disabled parking and telemedicine in 2019.

It is important to remember that telemedicine technology is improving all the time, at an almost exponential rate. Each year a plethora of new apps are released. This means that options for telemedicine users are always expanding. It also means that more and more people with different and more complex medical conditions and disabilities become able to use telemedicine to meet their unique medical needs all the time. Each year there are better options available in the telemedicine world, so it can be very beneficial to keep up to date with this fast-moving scene.

Disabled parking programs, rules, and regulations, on the other hand, do not morph or change at anywhere near the same rate. The disabled parking programs in each U.S. state are set and do not change much year to year. While the programs are very similar in all U.S. states, they do tend to vary a little when it comes to some details, such as the specific qualifying conditions that make a person eligible, the types of medical professional who can verify a person as disabled, the placard holder’s rights, and the duration of time that various types of placards and plates are valid for. These details vary slightly between states, but each state’s rules tend to stay the same year on year. This consistency is good news for disabled drivers in each state, because it means they can be very familiar with the rules and regulations of their handicap parking program and avoid the inconvenience of having to keep up-to-date with a system that chops and changes regularly.

But despite the consistent and rarely changing nature of disabled parking programs, there is still a lot of change going on in the space due to the increased options offered to disabled drivers through telemedicine technology.

In 2019, many states allow disabled drivers to consult with medical professionals, both in their home state and in surrounding states, using telemedicine technology. This is massively convenient for people whose disabilities make traveling to a medical professional’s place of work very difficult (especially before they have gotten their disabled parking placard or plates). This means patients can do their initial medical consultation remotely from the comfort of their own home in many cases.

In most states, temporary disabled parking placards expire after six months, and in a minority of states they last for 12 months. Once these placards expire, if they are still needed, they must be applied for all over again. This means having a new consultation with a medical professional, and so this often-repeated process is made much easier with the use of telemedicine.

Permanent disabled parking placards and plates also need to be renewed in every state. Placards generally expire after five years, while plates usually expire after either one year or when the vehicle registration comes up for renewal. A minority of states require a new medical professional verification letter in order to renew a permanent disabled parking placard or plate. Telemedicine can be used to make this process as efficient as possible.

Handicap parking users can use telemedicine in 2019 to great effect. Gone are the days when a disabled driver would have to drive long distances, struggle to find suitable parking, and then queue up for long periods in a doctor’s surgery, waiting to be seen by a medical professional in order to be verified. Telemedicine has increased the options available to handicap parking permit users, making their lives that little bit easier and more convenient.