ATA ACTION APPLAUDS HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE FOR UNANIMOUSLY ADVANCING A TWO-YEAR EXTENSION OF MANY CRITICAL TELEHEALTH FLEXIBILITIES
WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 8, 2024 – ATA Action, an affiliated trade organization of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), applauds the House Ways and Means Committee for their proactive approach in unanimously advancing a two-year telehealth extension. This extension will maintain many of the current Medicare telehealth flexibilities through the end of calendar year 2026, demonstrating the Committee’s commitment to telehealth.
“While we prefer Medicare telehealth flexibilities be made permanent, we understand the dynamics and applaud the Committee for a two-year extension of many of the critical flexibilities without arbitrary and unnecessary guardrails such as in-person requirements,” said Kyle Zebley, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, the ATA and Executive Director, ATA Action. “This is a clear sign that our bipartisan telehealth supporters are at work, determined not to leave the American people without access to safe, effective, quality healthcare where and when they need it. But this is not over yet. There will be additional markups and other committees need to weigh in, as we continue to push for telehealth permanency.”
Specifically, ATA Action is supportive of the bill extending the following telehealth provisions:
- Geographic and originating-site waivers
- Ability for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to continue to furnish telehealth services
- Expanded list of eligible Medicare providers, allowing Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologies, and Audiologists to render telehealth services
- Ability to offer audio-only services
- Repeal of telemental health in-person requirement
- Preservation of the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program through CY2029
“We hope this action by the Ways and Means Committee will push Congress to enact this legislation soon to provide certainty for patients and providers across the country and allow U.S. healthcare systems enough time to implement appropriate virtual tools, technologies, programs, and processes moving forward,” Zebley added. “We support additional telehealth priorities that have not yet been acted upon, including the remote prescribing of controlled substances, which were not included in the legislative proposal. We believe, if left omitted, this would lead to a tremendous gap in care.”
“ATA Action is available as a resource and looks forward to continuing to work with Congress to ensure that the appropriate telehealth policies are implemented in a timely manner without arbitrary and unnecessary barriers to care such as in-person, brick and mortar, or geographic requirements,” Zebley said.
About ATA Action
ATA Action recognizes that telehealth and virtual care have the potential to transform the healthcare delivery system by improving patient outcomes, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of care, addressing health disparities, and reducing costs. ATA Action is a registered 501c6 entity and an affiliated trade organization of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).
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