ATA, ATA ACTION COMMENT ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS, URGE POLICYMAKERS TO ACT SWIFTLY BEFORE YEAR END TO EXTEND TELEHEALTH FLEXIBILITIES

WASHINGTON, D.C., NOVEMBER 6, 2024 – In response to today’s early morning results of the historic 2024 presidential election, with a majority of electoral college votes going to former President Donald Trump as its 47th president, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and ATA Action issued the following statement:

“President-elect Trump and his administration were strong proponents of telehealth during his first stay in the White House, creating important policy flexibilities that allowed for immediate and appropriate access to virtual care services early in the COVID-19 pandemic, for which we are grateful,” said Kyle Zebley, senior vice president, public policy, the ATA and executive director, ATA Action. “We are looking forward to working with Trump administration to ensure that access to needed care continues to be available to all Americans, and that telehealth services become a permanent part of healthcare delivery in our country.

“Our thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, which also demonstrated unwavering support for telehealth over the past four years. It is our sincere hope that Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle act swiftly to advance a bill extending telehealth flexibilities and get it to President Biden’s desk for signature before year-end. We cannot understate the urgency of extending these flexibilities in order to avoid interrupting needed and often life-saving care for millions of patients,” Zebley added.

Specific legislative priorities supporting appropriate telehealth utilization include:

• Bipartisan Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 (R. 7623 and S. 3967) and the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 4189 and S. 2016): Extending many Medicare telehealth flexibilities through the end of CY2026.
• Telehealth Expansion Act (1001, HR 1843): Permanently allowing individuals with HDHP-HSAs to access telehealth services before meeting their deductible.
• Medicare Telehealth Privacy Act of 2023 (HR 6364): Ensuring the privacy of providers by keeping their home addresses confidential.
• Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of 2023 (HR 824): Permanently classifying telehealth as an excepted benefit, enhancing access for workers.
• The extension of remote prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances beyond year-end which we hope will provide additional time to develop a viable long-term regulatory framework.

“Telehealth has received unprecedented bipartisan and bicameral support, spanning administrations from both parties, which we expect to continue, and the ATA and ATA Action remains committed to working with our federal government policymakers to ensure that legislation needed to expand access to virtual care services is enacted as quickly as possible. It is essential that we give patients and healthcare providers certainty in the availability of digital health tools that have proven to be safe, effective and widely accepted as a part of a modernized healthcare delivery system.”

About the ATA

As the only organization completely focused on advancing telehealth, the American Telemedicine Association is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to safe, affordable, and appropriate care when and where they need it, enabling the system to do more good for more people. The ATA represents a broad and inclusive member network of leading healthcare delivery systems, academic institutions, technology solution providers and payers, as well as partner organizations and alliances, working to advance industry adoption of telehealth, promote responsible policy, advocate for government and market normalization, and provide education and resources to help integrate virtual care into emerging value-based delivery models.

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).