AHA urges Congress to make telehealth flexibilities permanent

In a statement submitted April 10 to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health for a hearing on legislative proposals to support patient access to telehealth services, AHA voiced support for certain proposals that would extend critical telehealth flexibilities set to expire this year, expand telehealth access to patients with limited English proficiency and help inform telehealth changes for the future. These include:

• The CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 4189), which would permanently remove telehealth geographic restrictions and expand originating site locations to include the patient’s home; remove arbitrary requirements for in person visits for behavioral health treatment; and allow Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve as distant sites.
• The Telehealth Modernization Act (H.R. 7623) and H.R. 7711, which would permanently remove geographic originating site restrictions, expand the types of providers eligible to provide telehealth services and extend coverage for audio-only telehealth, among other telehealth flexibilities.
• H.R. 134, which would remove geographic requirements and permanently expand originating sites for telehealth services.
• The Telemental Health Care Access Act (H.R. 3432), which would remove originating site restrictions for mental and behavioral health patients.
• The Expanded Telehealth Access Act (H.R. 3875), which would expand the list of practitioners eligible to administer telehealth services. 
• The Helping Ensure Access to Local Telehealth Act (H.R. 5611), which would provide telehealth coverage and reimbursement for FQHCs and RHCs, including audio-only services.
• The Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, which would extend the hospital-at-home waiver through 2027.
• The Supporting Patient Education and Knowledge Act (H.R. 6033), which would require the Health and Human Services Secretary to convene a task force to improve telehealth access for patients with limited English proficiency; and H.R. 7863, which would require HHS to issue guidance on furnishing behavioral health services via telehealth to patients with limited English proficiency.
• The KEEP Telehealth Options Act (H.R. 1110), which would require HHS, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to study and provide information about the expanded use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act (H.R. 5541), which would create a licensure reciprocity process for tele-behavioral health services during public health emergencies.

“The expansion of telehealth services has transformed care delivery, expanded access for millions of Americans and increased convenience in caring for patients, especially those with transportation or mobility limitations,” AHA wrote. “Given current health care challenges, including major clinician shortages nationwide, telehealth holds tremendous potential to leverage geographically dispersed provider capacity to support patient demand. We urge Congress to make these key telehealth flexibilities permanent before they expire on Dec. 31, 2024.”