Congressional Activity
Letter to House and Senate Leadership Urging Further Investment in Broadband and Digital Care Technologies: (6/28) – Reps. Spanberger (D-VA), Johnson (R-SD), Matsui (D-CA) and Curtis (R-UT) are announcing today a letter they led with 31 bipartisan members of Congress urging Congress to prioritize investments in broadband and digital care technologies, with a focus on directing resources to rural and medically underserved areas. The members of Congress point to the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program as a vital resource for health care providers, enhancing access and delivery of virtual services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rep. Spanberger (D-VA) and Johnson (R-SD) introduced legislation last year to provide an additional $200 million for the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Congress eventually provided an additional $249 million in funding through the end-of-year Consolidated Appropriations Act. The Alliance for Connected Care has worked to support both the letter and legislative effort.
Rural and Frontier Telehealth Expansion Act: (6/23) – Sens. Rosen (D-NV), Sullivan (R-AK), Tester (D-MT), Capito (R-WV), Lujan (D-NM) and Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Rural and Frontier Telehealth Expansion Act (S. 2197), which would increase the Federal medical assistance percentage for States that provide Medicaid coverage for telehealth services.
PREVENT DIABETES Act: (6/22) – Sen. Scott (R-SC), Warner (D-VA) and six bipartisan cosponsors introduced the Promoting Responsible and Effective Virtual Experiences through Novel Technology to Deliver Improved Access and Better Engagement with Tested and Evidence-Based Strategies (PREVENT DIABETES) Act (S. 2173). The PREVENT DIABETES Act would increase access to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Expanded Model by allowing CDC-recognized virtual suppliers to participate in the program. The Alliance and more than two dozen others endorse this legislation. In April, Reps. Rice (R-SC), DeGette (D-CO), Reed (R-NY) and Butterfield (D-NC) introduced identical legislation in the House (H.R. 2807). View the press release, one-pager, bill text list of endorsing organizations.
Telemental Health Care Access Act: (6/22) – Reps. Matsui (D-CA) and Johnson (R-OH) introduced the Telemental Health Care Access Act (H.R. 4058), which would ensure coverage of mental and behavioral health services furnished through telehealth. On June 15, Sens. Cassidy (R-LA), Smith (D-MN), Cardin (D-MD), and Thune (R-SD) introduced identical legislation in the Senate (S. 2061). The Alliance for Connected Care has endorsed this bill because it repeals the in-person visit requirement that was placed on telemental health in the end-of-year 2020 legislative package. View the press release and bill text.
Proposal for Cures 2.0: (6/22) – Reps. DeGette (D-CO) and Upton (R-MI) unveiled their draft Cures 2.0 legislation, which outlines a set of policies to build on the 21st Century Cures Act, passed in 2016, and respond to needs that have emerged out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, the proposal seeks to remove barriers to telehealth access by making permanent some of the waivers exercised during the COVID-19 public health emergency, including the elimination of restrictions on originating and geographic sites. View the press release, bill text and section-by-section.
Specifically, the legislation includes sections:
- Sec. 402. Strategies to Increase Access to Telehealth under Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program: collaborating with Reps. Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Burgess (R-TX) to include the Telehealth Improvement for Kids’ Essential Services (TIKES) Act. This policy would provide guidance and strategies to states on effectively integrating telehealth into their Medicaid program and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), review the impact of telehealth on patient health and encourage better collaboration.
- Sec. 403. Extending Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities: working with Reps Carter (R-GA) and Blunt Rochester (D-DE) to include the Telehealth Modernization Act. This policy would permanently remove Medicare's geographic and originating site restrictions which require a patient to live in a rural area and be physically in a doctor's office or clinic to use telehealth services. It would also allow the Secretary of HHS to permanently expand the types of health care providers that can offer telehealth services and the types of services that can be reimbursed under Medicare
Enhance Access to Support Essential Behavioral Health Services (EASE) Act:
(6/22) – Reps. Bilirakis (R-FL) and Soto (D-FL) introduced the Enhance Access to Support Essential Behavioral Health Services (EASE) Act (H.R. 4036), which would provide for Medicare and Medicaid mental and behavioral health treatment through telehealth. Sen. Kennedy (R-LA) introduced companion legislation in the Senate (S. 2112).
Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021: (6/22) – Reps. Cheney (R-WY) and Dingell (D-MI) introduced the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2021 (H.R. 4040), which would extend telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program. Providers would be allowed to deliver telehealth services to patients in their homes regardless of what part of the country they live in, and would permanently allow Medicare to pay for doctor’s visits via audio-only phone calls, rather than requiring a video component for every call. The bill would also make permanent the telehealth coverage at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and Rural Health Clinics (RHC). Finally, the bill removes restrictions that limit health care providers’ ability to provide access to smart devices and innovative digital technology to their patients. View the press release and bill text.
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