ATA AND ATA ACTION PRAISE THE U.S. HOUSE FOR NEAR-UNANIMOUS VOTE TO EXTEND KEY TELEHEALTH FLEXIBILITIES THROUGH 2024, PUSH FOR THE U.S. SENATE TO PASS H.R. 4040
WASHINGTON, DC, JULY 27, 2022 – Following the near-unanimous (416-12) passage of H.R. 4040, Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID–19 Act of 2021, in the U.S. House, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and ATA Action issued the following statement:
“Today, we took a significant step forward in providing much needed stability in access to care for millions of Americans, with the U.S. House vote to extend key telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) until the end of 2024. We cannot allow patients to lose access to telehealth post-pandemic, and this bill will provide stability through 2024, while giving Congress time to address how to make the policies permanent. We congratulate our longstanding policy champions in the House for their continued support and overwhelming acknowledgement that telehealth is an essential part of care delivery,” said Kyle Zebley, vice president, public policy, the ATA, and executive director, ATA Action. “Telehealth has long been a bipartisan healthcare issue and we now turn to the Senate to ensure this important piece of legislation makes it to President Biden’s desk so he can sign it into law.”
A Statement of Administration Policy issued by the Executive Office of the President on July 26, states: “The Administration strongly supports H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2022. This bill would build on the experience and best practices learned during the pandemic, and modernize our health care system to expand access to quality, affordable care, especially in rural and underserved communities.” The statement concludes: “As we emerge from the worst stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, H.R. 4040 will ensure that the Medicare program continually adapts to provide convenient, quality, accessible, and equitable health care. The Administration urges the House to pass the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2022, and looks forward to working with Congress to improve health care access and quality for all Americans.”
“The ATA and ATA Action enthusiastically concur with this Statement of Administration Policy and will continue to press for access to telehealth services that can bring safe, convenient, and quality care to all patients, including older Americans and those living in rural communities. While passing H.R. 4040 into law will be an enormous achievement, there is still more to do in order to fully avoid the telehealth cliff facing Americans. Additional actions should be taken by Congress and the Biden Administration, such as extending the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HSA) telehealth tax provision as well as extending the Ryan Haight Act in-person waiver for the remote prescription of controlled substances,” added Zebley.
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 company and an affiliated trade organization of the ATA.
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.
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