375 Healthcare Organizations Urge Senate to Ensure Expanded Telehealth Access

Signed by 375 stakeholders and co-led by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and its advocacy arm ATA Action, a letter to the US Senate asks that expanded telehealth access be solidified for the next two years while working toward a permanent extension of the flexibilities and waivers currently in place.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government eliminated regulations that limited the extent to which telehealth could be used. This followed the declaration of the public health emergency (PHE), as many patients were no longer able to receive in-person care.

However, many now anticipate the telehealth flexibilities will be eliminated as COVID-19 cases have declined and telehealth use has leveled off.

The ATA and ATA Action composed a letter that urges the US Senate to extend the flexibilities and waivers put into place during the pandemic for two years. The flexibilities include removing in-person requirements for telemental health and restrictions on location of providers and patients engaging in telehealth.

The House passed a bill in July that extends these flexibilities through 2024. But if the Senate does not pass the legislation as well, the flexibilities will expire 151 days after the public health emergency has ended.

The letter was signed by 375 stakeholders, including Amazon, the American Nurses Association, Ascension, Bicycle Health, and Cleveland Clinic.

“This letter truly speaks from a strong, unified voice, representing the breadth of the healthcare industry. While we, 375 strong, seek permanency for telehealth access, our hope is that the Senate will at least match the full two years of extensions envisioned by H.R. 4040,” said Kyle Zebley, senior vice president, public policy, at the ATA, and executive director of ATA Action, in a press release. “Further, in response to the recent actions of the House, the Senate should make great policies greater, by including those provisions left out of H.R. 4040.”

Written to US Senators Charles Schumer and Mitch McConnell, the letter detailed the benefits of telehealth, including how it will continue to expand boundaries of care.

The letter also expresses concerns related to a forced return to in-person care. Telehealth has allowed many patients to receive care from a provider in a different location, and the elimination of these virtual services would hinder the myriad of benefits they offer, according to the letter. 

This is not the first time healthcare stakeholders have urged Congress to act on expanding telehealth access.

In March, a group of 72 organizations wrote to government agencies, requesting continued virtual access to controlled substances free of an initial in-person requirement.

In January, over 125 organizations requested that Congress reinstate a rule that allows employers to provide pre-deductible coverage for telehealth services for those with high-deductible health plans that are coupled with Health Savings Accounts.