Society Urges Permanent Telehealth Reform
Last week, the Society joined over 300 other national medical associations in urging congressional leaders to facilitate a pathway to comprehensive permanent telehealth reform. The groups asked for the continuation of all current telehealth waivers through December 31, 2024, and to take up permanent, evidence-based telehealth legislation for implementation in 2024. They also asked that Congress require the Department of Health and Human Services to complete all feasible evaluation related to telehealth by fall 2023 and to combine findings into a single overarching dashboard with recommendations to inform permanent telehealth legislation by Congress.
The letter noted, “Many of the telehealth flexibilities that have helped dramatically improve patient access to care are temporary and limited to the duration of the COVID-19 PHE – and impact both public health programs and private health coverage. While the Biden Administration may elect to extend the COVID-19 PHE, the fact that the PHE determination must be renewed every 90 days and could end later this year has introduced significant uncertainty into all parts of the U.S. health care system. As it stands today, providers must weigh the costs of investing in the technological and clinical infrastructure required to maintain telehealth programs at scale against the possibility that Congress may ultimately decide not to support permanently expanded telehealth coverage.”