Stakeholders Urge Congress to Avert 'Telehealth Cliff'

Virtual care advocates note that telehealth demonstrated its value as a care option for seniors during the pandemic, when in-person care venues were shuttered.

More than 430 telehealth stakeholders are asking Congress to make permanent the reforms put forward during the public health emergency that facilitate remote healthcare.

In a letter sent this week to lawmakers, the stakeholders urged Congress to act before the PHE expires – tentatively this autumn -- and threatens to create a "telehealth cliff" for Medicare beneficiaries who've come to rely on virtual care options.

Specifically, the stakeholders are asking Congress to:

• Remove "arbitrary restrictions" on where a patient must be located to be eligible for telehealth services;
   
• Ensure that federally qualified health centers, critical access hospitals, and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services;
   
• Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to allow additional telehealth practitioners, services, and modalities;
   
• Remove restrictions on telemental health services.

The stakeholders note that telehealth has demonstrated its value as a care option for seniors during the pandemic, when other care venues were shuttered.

"Because of this, many providers and health systems have made substantial investments in telehealth. Congress must act now to pass legislation to ensure patients and providers are not left in the lurch with fewer options to address critical health needs," the letter said.

The letter was co-led by the Alliance for Connected Care, American Telemedicine Association, Consumer Technology Association, eHealth Initiative, HIMSS, Health Innovation Alliance, Partnership to Advance Virtual Care, and PCHAlliance.  

"One acknowledged bright spot resulting from COVID-19 has been the extraordinary use of telehealth that has allowed patients to access quality care from the convenience of their homes," Kyle Zebley, ATA vice president of public policy said in a media release.

"However, there is now much uncertainty around the future of telehealth, creating chaos and concern for patients and healthcare providers alike, as the 'telehealth cliff' threatens to abruptly cut off access to care, especially for our underserved and rural populations," Zebley said.