Organizations Pen Letter to Senate on Telehealth Legislation

On Sept. 13, the Alliance for Connected Care announced that 375 organizations—including Amazon, Google, and Walmart—sent a joint letter to bipartisan leadership of the U.S. Senate urging action on telehealth legislation this fall. The organizations say that policy certainty after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) is crucial to continuing access to telehealth for Medicare and commercial market plans.

A press release on the announcement states that “The letter urges the Senate to pass a two-year extension of important telehealth policies enacted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are currently set to expire 151 days after the end of the PHE. The letter represents the diversity of groups across the health care spectrum whose constituencies are impacted by telehealth policy – from consumer groups representing mental health, chronic disease, primary care; and providers including physicians, nurses, physical therapists; to employers representing millions of Americans who receive their coverage through their jobs.”

That said, “The letter calls on the Senate to pass legislation that would extend critical telehealth flexibilities, including provisions to waive provider and patient location limitations, remove in-person requirements for telemental health, ensure continued access to clinically appropriate controlled substances without in-person requirements, and increase access to telehealth services in the commercial market, including for those with a high-deductible health plans coupled with a health savings account (HDHP-HSA).”

The release adds that patient satisfaction surveys and claims data from CMS and private health plans show that Americans see telehealth as one of the best improvements to the country’s healthcare system. “Telehealth has also helped to bridge gaps in care, especially in communities facing significant workforce shortages,” the release notes. “Importantly, almost three in four Americans “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree” that patients should have the option to receive telehealth, even after the pandemic, which increases to 84 percent among recent telehealth patients. Most recently, reports from the HHS Office of Inspector General showed that that dually-eligible beneficiaries were more likely than others to use telehealth to ensure access to care and that telehealth expanded access for minority populations.”

The joint letter was co-led by the Alliance for Connected Care, American Telemedicine Association (ATA), College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Connected Health Initiative, Consumer Technology Association, Executives for Health Innovation, Health Innovation Alliance, HIMSS, and Partnership to Advance Virtual Care.