ICYMI: Bipartisan Senate Telehealth Working Group Members Call on Senate Leadership Urging Swift Action to Make Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Permanent

Letter to Senate Leadership Highlights Importance of Protecting Permanent Access to Telehealth for Medicare Beneficiaries Ahead of End-of-Year Expiration

In case you missed it, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) sent a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell advocating for the permanent protection of Medicare telehealth flexibilities that are set to expire at the end of this year, last week. 

“With the end-of-year expiration of telehealth flexibilities rapidly approaching, we write to urge you to prioritize policies that ensure all Medicare beneficiaries retain access to telehealth services. At least 66 Democratic and Republican Senators support permanently expanding telehealth access, and similar provisions have passed on a bipartisan unanimous basis in committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives,” the Senators wrote. “The Senate must quickly act to advance these policies, which protect access to telehealth services and align with your objective to advance bipartisan legislation that promotes the health and well-being of Americans.”

The letter underscores the proven effectiveness of telehealth through recent studies such as the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommendations. “Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access to telehealth services and are satisfied with the care they receive. We must provide patients and clinicians with long-term certainty of their ability to access and provide care through telehealth,” the letter concludes.

The letter comes on the heels of the recent advancement legislation by the U.S. House Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees to extend telehealth flexibilities for another two years until 2026. 

Read the full letter HERE and read Senator Schatz’s press release on the letter HERE.

ABOUT TELEHEALTH ACCESS FOR AMERICA

Telehealth Access for America (TAFA) is a public education campaign supported by leaders in health care committed to better care, expanded patient choice, and protecting access to critical telehealth services.

Learn more at www.telehealthaccessforamerica.org.