{"id":40427,"date":"2022-02-12T12:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-12T17:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mtelehealth.com\/?p=40427"},"modified":"2022-02-12T12:40:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-12T17:40:00","slug":"washington-gets-more-pressure-on-telehealth-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drmiltie.com\/at-home-testing\/washington-gets-more-pressure-on-telehealth-reform\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington gets more pressure on telehealth reform"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

A bipartisan bill has been introduced to expand telehealth access for two years. Hundreds of advocates are calling on Congress to ensure permanent access.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthcare advocates have been pushing Washington to ensure wide access to telehealth continues beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effort seems to be making progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress to ensure Medicare recipients have access to telehealth no matter where they live. U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) are the prime sponsors of the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scores of healthcare organizations have been urging President Joe Biden\u2019s administration and Congress to guarantee wide availability of telehealth. More than 300 healthcare groups signed a letter<\/a> Jan. 31 urging Congress to pass telehealth reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, Washington eased restrictions on telehealth as part of the public health emergency. In January, the Biden administration renewed the public health emergency for another 90 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the waivers allowing wider telehealth use are tied to the public health emergency, advocates worry about the uncertainty of continued access and have urged the administration and lawmakers to allow access to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new bill<\/a> in Congress would allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to extend Medicare payments for telehealth services for an additional two years. Those services would include substance abuse treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legislation would also authorize a study of the effectiveness of the expansion of telehealth services during the pandemic, so Congress would have more information to decide if telehealth access should be permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still feeling the impacts of coronavirus, especially in older and more vulnerable populations, which is why these telehealth services must be extended,\u201d Cortez Masto said in a statement about the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Cortez Masto and Young touted the benefits of telehealth for residents in their states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs Congress evaluates which changes to make permanent, many of these flexibilities are set to expire. We should act now to ensure seniors continue to benefit from these important remote health care services,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their joint letter to House and Senate leaders, 336 healthcare advocacy organizations spelled out their recommendations to maintain wide access to telehealth services. The groups are asking Congress to commit to the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n