Telehealth Access Critical for America’s Health Care Future
March 2, 2022 at 11:01 AM
This Guest Perspective is from Telehealth Access for America (TAFA), a group that identifies itself as “a public education campaign supported by leaders in health care committed to better care, expanded patient choice, and protecting access to critical telehealth services.” TAFA’s members include the American Hospital Association, the American Heart Association, the Consumer Technology Association and AARP. The views expressed here are TAFA’s alone; Inside Health Policy takes no editorial position on this issue.
While Congress has punted on the continuing resolution deadline until March 11, patients who rely on telehealth are in need of a sprint to protect their access to this critical care in the upcoming long-term spending bill.
The pandemic and individuals’ short- and long-term need for ongoing access to the telehealth services they rely on is a constant reminder of the necessity for congressional action to protect virtual care. Hundreds of health care stakeholders echoed this sentiment in a recent letter to congressional leaders, urging Congress to extend the telehealth flexibilities given to patients and providers in response to the pandemic. As the letter makes clear and our own coalition of health care leaders argues: Congress must act to safeguard telehealth access for the millions of people who rely on it.
Read the full piece on Inside Health Policy.