The American Telemedicine Association this week welcomed a multi-party appropriations bill from both houses of Congress for including a two-year extension for telehealth flexibility. Medicare has been in place since a public health emergency due to COVID-19 was declared in 2020.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
The telehealth group’s ATA Actions branch also thanked leaders from both parties on Capitol Hill because the package also includes provisions to delay Medicare’s direct claim for telehealth in two years.
“Congressional telehealth champions on both sides of the aisle have supported the American people, as well as ATA and ATA Action members, by responding to our call for access to telehealth over the next two years, as we continue to work with policymakers to create telehealth Kyle Zebley, senior vice president, public policy, The American Telemedicine Association and its executive director, ATA Action, said in a statement.
In addition, the pool bus features a two-year safe harbor extension to provide telehealth in high-deductible health plans with a health savings account – and family savings. an additional two years for the Home Acute Hospital Care Program.
While the bill does not include a comparable extension to Ryan Haight’s direct immunity to teleprescribing controlled substances, it does direct the Drug Enforcement Administration to include establishes final regulations defining the circumstances under which a Special Registry for telemedicine can be issued and the registration procedure.
TREND TO BIGGER
Congress is expected to vote on the multi-decker bus bill and send it to President Biden to sign into law next week.
The American Telemedicine Association and the ATA Action have been pushing to expand Medicare telehealth flexibility beyond PHE and through 2024 for months as multiple bills with different provisions go through. Capitol Hill.
In September, ATA leaders spoke with Healthcare IT News to discuss more broadly what the future might look like for telehealth policy, after PHE.
ON PROFILE
“We asked Congress and they listened. We are truly grateful for their enthusiastic support of telehealth,” Zebley said. “It’s time to quickly bring this bill to the President for passage into law before the end of the year.” But he added that “the hard work continues, as we persistently promote the permanence of telehealth and create lasting barriers to the remote healthcare cliff. “
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