US Senators Support Permanent Telehealth Access Through Legislation

June 16, 2023 - In support of continued telehealth access, a bipartisan group of 60 United States senators reintroduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act to expand Medicare coverage of telehealth, sustain virtual care flexibilities, enhance health outcomes, and ease healthcare communication.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the efficacy of telehealth. Greater telehealth use was made possible during the pandemic due to numerous regulatory flexibilities. But these flexibilities were intended to be temporary.

Initially introduced in 2016, lawmakers have since enacted various provisions of the CONNECT for Health Act into law. In 2020, three provisions from the CONNECT for Health Act became law. This led patients to use telehealth more, highlighting virtual care's capabilities in improving care access.

In December, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), along with other lawmakers, further secured provisions from this legislation. The 2022 year-end spending bill for 2023 included provisions to extend pandemic-era telehealth and hospital-at-home waivers through Dec. 31, 2024. Given the projected expiration date, there is an urgent need to place permanence on telehealth flexibilities, a press release from Schatz's office notes.

Alongside Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and many other senators, Schatz reintroduced the CONNECT for Health Act.

The reintroduced bill makes permanent various allowances surrounding virtual care. These include removing geographic restrictions on originating sites for telehealth, allowing health centers and rural health clinics to use telehealth, and increasing the list of professionals who can use telehealth. Other changes include waiving the need to initially participate in an in-person visit for mental healthcare, removing telehealth barriers during a public health emergency, and increasing published data requirements surrounding telehealth, its use, and its impact on care quality.

“While telehealth use has skyrocketed these last few years, our laws have not kept up. Telehealth is helping people in every part of the country get the care they need, and it’s here to stay,” said Schatz in a press release. “Our comprehensive bill makes it easier for more people to see their doctors no matter where they live.”

This effort has gained the support of over 150 organizations, including AARP, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), Kaiser Permanente, and the National Association of Rural Health Clinics.

“Since originally introduced in 2016, the CONNECT for Health Act has envisioned a world where Medicare beneficiaries have access to virtual care services where and when they need them. Today, our esteemed policy champions in Congress reintroduced an updated version of the CONNECT Act, including new and revised provisions that will help more people access telehealth services,” said Kyle Zebley, senior vice president of public policy at the ATA, and executive director, ATA Action, in a press release shared with mHealthIntelligence.

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) also showed support for the CONNECT for Health Act.

“The CONNECT for Health Act will ensure patients continue to have ongoing access to their clinicians; removing many obstacles some patients face accessing needed services while putting protections in place to ensure federal resources are effectively used,” said CHIME President and CEO Russ Branzell in a press release shared with mHealthIntelligence. “CHIME is pleased to see the legislation expand originating sites to include the home and other sites, allow more healthcare professionals to deliver care virtually, and repeal the unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health visits. 

Legislation supporting telehealth service growth and application has accelerated in the last year.

In February, six US House representatives introduced the Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to provide American workers with standalone employer-sponsored telehealth benefits.

Through this legislation, telehealth benefits would work similarly to dental and vision benefits. US Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-07) noted that the pandemic emphasized the efficacy and usefulness of telehealth and that expansion would improve healthcare access.