Congress urged to make telehealth expansion permanent
A bipartisan group of 30 senators yesterday urged congressional leaders to make permanent provisions included in previous COVID-19 legislation to expand access to telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries.
"Doing so would assure patients that their care will not be interrupted when the pandemic ends," they to Senate leaders. "It would also provide certainty to health care providers that the costs to prepare for and use telehealth would be a sound long-term investment."
The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act and Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act authorized expanded access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 emergency by including provisions from the AHA-supported CONNECT for Health Act.
AHA has identified needed to maintain or extend these and other telehealth flexibilities implemented during the emergency. The actions address provider/patient location; providers and facilities eligible to deliver telehealth services; types of services; billing, payment and coverage for telehealth.