May 2, 2025

Please find below the latest developments in federal and state virtual care policy as well as research, data, and polling on virtual care. 

This is the public update of the Alliance, issued quarterly. The biweekly Alliance newsletter is now members-only. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here or contact us about membership. 

Alliance News

Alliance Outlines Policy Requests to Dr. Oz, CMS (4/3) - The Alliance submitted a letter to Dr. Mehmet Oz, highlighting a list of “shovel-ready” regulatory issues that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) either has the authority to act on without Congressional action or that would benefit from CMS subject matter expertise. Additional coverage can be found in Healthcare Finance, Fierce Healthcare, and MedCity News.

Alliance Coleads 300 Stakeholder Letter to Congressional Leaders (2/24) - The Alliance coled a letter, signed by 350 groups urging Congressional leadership to take action in March to establish permanent or long-term access to telehealth. The group letter was highlighted in in Inside Telehealth and Fierce Healthcare. The Alliance led this letter when the congressional landscape did not look promising as Congress had not yet come together on a plan to fund the federal government and extend telehealth access in March.

Alliance Leads Over 150 Stakeholders in Letter to Attorney General (2/20) - The Alliance sent a letter, signed by more than 150 organizations, to the Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting her leadership in maintaining the access to telehealth that President Trump initiated during his first term. News coverage can be found in Modern Healthcare, Inside Telehealth, MedCity News, Becker’s Behavioral Health, and TechTarget.

Alliance Submits Statement for the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Hearing on Modernizing American Health Care (2/11) - The Alliance submitted a statement for the record, highlighting telehealth. In particular, the Alliance urges Congress to act quickly to restore telehealth access lost in December and avert a loss of access to Medicare telehealth in March.

Alliance Statement on DEA Special Registration Proposal (1/15) - The Alliance for Connected Care appreciates the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) forward movement on telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances policy. However, the Alliance remains concerned to see language in the proposed rulemaking mandating what portion of patient care can be offered through telemedicine, as this is not an appropriate guardrail for a telehealth service. The Alliance’s statement on the rule was highlighted in Healthcare Brew, MedPage Today, Healthcare IT News, Stat News, Healthcare Dive, Modern Healthcare, Fortune Well and others.

On March 8, House Speaker Johnson (R-LA) released text of legislation to fund the federal government until September 30, 2025. 

The package included an extension of Medicare telehealth and acute hospital care at home until September 30, 2025. 

Congress

Alliance Endorsed Bills - The Alliance recently endorsed two new bills:

• The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025, which has long been the flagship telehealth legislation of the Senate Telehealth working group and House Telehealth Caucus.
• The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act, which would improve interstate health care workforce licensing and improve access to care across America by cutting through red tape.
• The Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act (S. 1535/H.R. 3108), which would ensure high-quality remote physiologic monitoring services for Medicare beneficiaries. 

Sen. Schatz (D-HI): Introduction of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technology (CONNECT) for Health Act (4/3) – Sens. Schatz (D-HI), Wicker (R-MS), Warner (D-VA), Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Welch (D-VT), and Barrasso (R-WY) led a bipartisan group of 60 senators in in reintroducing the CONNECT for Health Act, which would make permanent expanded telehealth provisions.

Rep. Arrington (R-TX): Introduction of the Ensuring Access to Specialty Care Everywhere (EASE) Act (4/3) – Rep. Arington (R-TX) introduced the Ensuring Access to Specialty Care Everywhere (EASE) Act (H.R. 2533), which would increase rural access to specialty care providers by authorizing the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to create a virtual specialty care provider network that rural patients can access through telehealth.

Sen. Schatz (D-HI): Introduction of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technology (CONNECT) for Health Act (4/3) – Sens. Schatz (D-HI), Wicker (R-MS), Warner (D-VA), Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Welch (D-VT), and Barrasso (R-WY) led a bipartisan group of 60 senators in in reintroducing the CONNECT for Health Act, which would make permanent expanded telehealth provisions.

Sen. Blackburn (R-TN): Introduction of the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act (3/28) – Sens. Blackburn (R-TN), Welch (D-VT), and King (I-ME) introduced the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2332/S. 1101), which would authorize the use of Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history record information for administration of certain licenses. Many of these interstate compacts (or legislatively enacted agreements between states) face a roadblock, as some state regulatory agencies have been denied, or had their authorization revoked, to obtain FBI criminal background checks for verification of a licensee’s eligibility. The legislation ensures criminal history record information is maintained in the same manner as requests for all occupational licenses handled at the state level. 

Rep. Balderson (R-OH): Introduction of the Remote Opioid Monitoring Act of 2025 (3/27) – Reps. Balderson (R-OH) and Kelly (D-IL) introduced the Remote Opioid Monitoring Act (H.R. 2404), which would provide for a study on the effects of remote monitoring on individuals who are prescribed opioids. Improving prescription monitoring has been identified by experts as a key component in the fight against the opioid epidemic. Detecting troubling signs during a prescription regimen allows health care providers to intervene early. Sen. Cornyn (R-TX) and seven bipartisan cosponsors introduced the companion legislation in the Senate (S. 702).

Rep. Buchanan (R-FL): Introduction of the Permanent Telehealth from Home Act (H.R. 1407) (2/18) - On February 18, Reps. Buchanan (R-FL), Miller (R-OH), and Thompson (D-CA) introduced the Permanent Telehealth from Home Act (H.R. 1407), which would remove geographic requirements and expand originating sites for telehealth services under the Medicare program.

House Ways & Means Committee: Health Subcommittee Hearing on Modernizing American Health Care: Creating Healthy Options and Better Incentives (2/11) - The House Ways & Means Committee, Health Subcommittee held a hearing that examined ways to promote healthy living with more options, greater flexibility, and better incentives for patients. There was brief discussion from witnesses who raised concerns about the expiration of telehealth in March.

Senate: Confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2/13) - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was confirmed to be HHS Secretary. Several members from the Senate Finance Committee submitted questions for the record, which included robust conversations about RFK’s telehealth priorities. After RFK’s confirmation, President Trump signed an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission. 

Sen. Cassidy (R-LA): Reintroduction of the Connected Maternal Online Monitoring (MOM) Act – (1/17) – Sens. Cassidy (R-LA) and Hassan (D-NH) introduced the Connected MOM Act (S.141), which would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide coverage recommendations for remote devices such as those that can check for irregularities in blood pressure, blood glucose, and pulse rates which can be indicators of potential pregnancy complications. It also requires CMS to update state resources, such as state Medicaid telehealth toolkits, to correspond with the recommendations provided. The goal is to improve maternal and infant outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women.

There have been several requests for information from federal agencies on opportunities to deregulate health care and increase competition.

Administration

CMS: Updated Telehealth FAQ (4/9) – CMS released an updated telehealth guidance document, which reflects the telehealth extension from the congressional funding package through September 30, 2025.

Drug Enforcement Administration: Delay of Buprenorphine and VA Rules (3/20) – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) delayed the effective date of two final rules related to the practice of telemedicine that would have gone into effect on March 21: Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter and Continuity of Care via Telemedicine for Veterans Affairs Patients. The new effective date is December 31, 2025. The new regulation is available here. This action aligns the implementation date for these rules with the end of the current broader regulatory flexibility continued from the public health emergency.

President Trump: Nomination of Terry Cole to be DEA Administrator (2/11) - President Trump nominated Terry Cole to serve as the DEA Administrator. Cole would replace Derek Maltz, who is currently serving as the acting DEA Administrator. Cole spent 22 years at the DEA serving in leadership roles, including as chief of staff and executive officer for the DEA’s chief of global operations. He also served as the agency’s representative to the National Security Council. He retired from the agency in 2020 holding the title of acting regional director for Mexico, Canada and Central America. Additional information can be found in The Washington Post.

DEA: Career Special Agent Derek S. Maltz Appointed to Lead U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (1/21) – The Trump Administration announced the appointment of Derek S. Maltz as Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Maltz was a career special agency for 28 years before retiring in 2014. During his career at DEA, Maltz spent nearly a decade leading DEA’s Special Operations Division and transforming DEA’s work with international law enforcement partners.

Telehealth Research, Reports, and Surveys

Peterson Center on Healthcare: Evolving Remote Monitoring: An Evidence-Based Approach to Coverage and Payment (4/16) – The report synthesizes previous PHTI evaluations and provides policy recommendations. Despite some coverage focusing on specific aspects of the report, it has both recommendations for guardrails as well as recommendations to enhance reimbursement in some situations. 

  NEJM Catalyst: Decarbonizing Health Care: Measuring Carbon Footprint Impact of a National VA Telehealth Program (4/16) – This study examined the Advanced Comprehensive Diabetes Care, an evidence-based telehealth program for diabetes patients in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system that has concurrently improved patient care and reduced the VA’s carbon footprint. The authors estimate that the program has prevented over 200,000 miles of driving, saving around US$20,000 in gasoline costs for patients and 82 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission compared with equivalent in-person care. ACDC provides a template for improving health outcomes and patient as well as provider satisfaction while saving money and producing measurable reductions in carbon footprint.

Telemedicine and e-Health: Impact of a Large-Scale Remote Patient Monitoring Program on Hospitalization Reduction (3/24) – Patient Monitoring at Home is a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) program through Michigan Medicine, which provides symptoms and vital sign monitoring via a provided cellular tablet and Bluetooth-connected devices. A team of registered nurses monitors patients 7 days per week. The study found that RPM is effective in reducing hospital admissions for a wide variety of conditions.

JAMA Network Open: Cross-State Travel for Cancer Care and Implications for Telehealth Reciprocity (2/21) - In this cross-sectional study Medicare beneficiaries with cancer, approximately 7 percent of cancer care was delivered across state lines. Compared with urban-residing patients, isolated rural-residing patients were approximately two times more likely to cross state lines for surgical procedures, three times more likely to cross state lines for radiation therapy services, and almost four times more likely to cross state lines for chemotherapy services. The findings suggest that as telehealth use is integrated into care pathways for patients with cancer, policy in this realm should be aligned with practice. Additional coverage can be found in MedPage Today.

NEJM Catalyst: Community Tele-Paramedicine to Improve Telehealth Access for Underserved Populations (2/19) - NewYork-Presbyterian and the Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine designed and implemented the Community Tele-Paramedicine program to increase access to robust telehealth services for medically underserved populations and reduce preventable emergency department visits and hospital admissions for patients living with multiple chronic illnesses. Given the demonstrated benefits of the program, the authors offer lessons and recommendations for other health systems that are interested in developing a facilitated telehealth program using community paramedic visits to patients’ homes.

Goldwater Institute: The Doctor Is Out—States Are Blocking Your Access to Mental Health Care (2/19) - Goldwater Institute released a report, which examined six states that allow out-of-state mental health practitioners to treat patients virtually, but to varying extents. As the report shows, allowing licensed practitioners to easily practice across state lines without requiring an in-state license has proven to be safe and effective. Despite this, most states either require an in-state license, or their interstate telehealth laws only apply to physicians and block many non-physician practitioners from practicing. 

NEJM Catalyst: Closing Hypertension Equity Gaps Through Digitally Inclusive Remote Patient Monitoring (2/19) - Remote patient monitoring (RPM) has been shown to support adults with treated but uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) outside the clinic setting, yielding significant benefits in the treatment and control of blood pressure (BP). Despite its proven efficacy and recommendation as guideline-concordant care, adoption of RPM is suboptimal, particularly among marginalized populations, who face structural barriers to HTN control. A barrier to equitable adoption among marginalized populations is the lack of digital inclusivity in the design and deployment of RPM.

Health Care Cost Institute: Telehealth Access is Crucial to Mental Health Care for People with Employer-Sponsored Insurance (2/3) - The Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI), in collaboration with West Health, conducted an analysis on the use of telehealth mental health services among people with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI). We found that telehealth played an outsized role in the delivery of mental health services starting in 2020, with over 40 percent of mental health visits occurring via telehealth from 2020-2022. Females, young adults, and people residing in the northeast and west coast received the highest share of mental health care via telehealth. Therapy was the most commonly received mental health service via telehealth.

Telehealth News and Market Developments

American Heart Association: Equitable Access to Digital Technologies May Help Improve Cardiovascular Health (4/7) - Mobile health technologies, such as wearable devices, mobile health apps and telehealth or remote coaching, have shown potential to help people start and maintain heart-healthy behaviors, such as eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, monitoring sleep and more.

Healthcare IT News: RPM is Shifting to a New Care Model (2/11) - Remote patient monitoring has begun to collect vital signs and other patient data more strategically and efficiently: Instead of waiting until a patient experiences distress, AI can help clinicians intervene earlier. Before early signs of health deterioration emerge, clinicians could intervene when AI-powered RPM technology detects patients are not taking their medications, their sleep patterns change, or they don't enter biometric data or respond to routine health questionnaires. Modifying these behaviors may not require a live clinician intervention either.

MedCity News: Intermountain Health Exec: Hub-and-Spoke Models Could Save Rural Health Care (2/10) - Dan Liljenquist, Intermountain Health’s chief strategy officer, said that more large health systems should employ a hub-and-spoke model to ensure that rural providers can thrive. Under this model, large health systems partner with rural hospitals — with the rural “spoke” hospitals gaining access to the larger “hub” health system’s technology, staff, medication discounts and more. The overall goal is to help rural hospitals remain operational and become more financially sustainable.

Medical Economics: Telehealth Billing Does Not Fairly Value Doctors’ Expertise and Time (2/4) - The current telehealth billing model prioritizes time over physician expertise, potentially under-compensating skilled doctors and discouraging efficient care. This structure creates an imbalance, and is unsustainable. A newly minted resident who takes longer to craft a response may be paid more than an experienced physician who delivers an accurate answer quickly. The University of Cincinnati aims to pilot a system in 2025 that could predict whether a patient will be billed prior to submitting their question.

Becker’s Hospital Review: Johns Hopkins to Expand Virtual Nursing and Inpatient Telehealth (1/29) - Johns Hopkins Medicine partnered with Caregility to implement a virtual care platform aimed at enhancing inpatient telehealth and launching a virtual nursing program. The collaboration will introduce Caregility Cloud technology and inpatient telehealth devices across four hospitals: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital and Suburban Hospital. The initiative is part of a broader effort to modernize care delivery, with plans for further expansion in 2025. Through this integration, virtual nurses will assist bedside teams by handling routine tasks such as admission assessments and discharge education. The telehealth solutions will also integrate with Johns Hopkins' Epic EHR system, streamlining virtual visit workflows for clinical staff.

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