New Senate Bill Seeks To Continue COVID-19 Telehealth Coverage

A group of Senators has submitted yet another bill aimed at permanently extending Medicare coverage for certain telehealth services beyond the pandemic.

The Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act (S. 1988), introduced this week by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Terry Moran (R-KS), reportedly aims to improve access to and coverage of connected health services in rural parts of the country. It would continue several emergency measures enacted during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

In a press release, Manchin and his colleagues said the bill would:

• Allow payment-parity for audio-only telehealth services for clinically appropriate appointments;
• Permanently waive geographic restrictions in Medicare coverage, allowing patients to be treated in their homes;
• Permanently allow Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to serve as distant sites for providing telehealth services;
• Expand coverage for asynchronous (store-and-forward) telehealth services; and
• Allow Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to directly bill for telehealth services.

“In rural areas across the United States - especially in West Virginia - many Americans don’t have access to reliable, affordable broadband, which is essential for video telehealth services,” Manchin said in the press release. “Instead, many rural Americans utilize audio-only telehealth appointments, which are now equally reimbursed after I fought to ensure that our healthcare professionals are reimbursed fairly for their hard work.” 

“When we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the COVID-19 pandemic, we immediately recognized the importance of making these telehealth flexibilities permanent,” he added. “Our bill ensures that rural telehealth providers can give rural Americans the quality care they deserve by eliminating restrictions on the use of telehealth options and ensuring doctors can be reimbursed for services they provide to patients from the comfort of their homes.”

The bill not only adds to the growing list of telehealth-related legislation before Congress, but includes measures that are featured in several other bills. Indeed, the measures highlighted by Manchin and his colleagues have been at the forefront of lobbying efforts by many lawmakers and telehealth advocates to prompt Congress to enact long-term connected health policy.

The bill does have support from several influential groups, including the American Telemedicine Association, Alliance for Connected Care, American Academy of Family Physicians, eHealth Initiative, Medical Group Management Association and National Rural Health Association.