New Telehealth Legislation Introduced In the U.S. House of Representatives
Lanton Law has been monitoring the state and federal policy developments with telehealth/telemedicine. We have noticed a newly introduced Congressional bill that is on point.
The Protecting Access to Post-Covid-19 Telehealth Act has been introduced by several members of the Congressional Telehealth Caucus including Representatives Schweikert (R-AZ), Thompson (D-CA), Welch (D-VT), Johnson (R-OH) and Matsui (D-CA).
This bi-partisan bill according to the bill’s press release “will continue the expanded use of telehealth beyond the Coronavirus pandemic by eliminating restrictions on the use in Medicare, providing a bridge for patients currently using the practices because of the crisis, and requiring a study on the use of telehealth during COVID-19.”
Here are the highlights of the legislation according to the release:
Eliminating most geographic and originating site restrictions on the use of telehealth in Medicare and establishing the patient’s home as an eligible distant site so patients can receive telehealth care at home and doctors can still be reimbursed,
Preventing a sudden loss of telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries by authorizing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service to continue reimbursement for telehealth for 90 days beyond the end of the public health emergency,
Making permanent the disaster waiver authority, enabling Health and Human Service to expand telehealth in Medicare during all future emergencies and disasters, and
Requiring a study on the use of telehealth during COVID, including its costs, uptake rates, measurable health outcomes, and racial and geographic disparities.
Lanton Law is a national boutique law and government affairs firm that focuses on healthcare/life sciences, technology and finance. If you are an industry stakeholder with questions about the current landscape or if you would like to discuss how your organization’s strategic initiatives might be impacted by either Congress, regulatory agencies or legal decisions, contact us today.