This week, the House of Representatives might vote on a plan to prolong telehealth reimbursement flexibilities until 2024. On Tuesday, the House Rules Committee advanced legislation that retains crucial flexibilities that have liberated Medicare reimbursement for telemedicine, flexibilities that may be eliminated after this year.
Members of the Committee stated the “Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2022” will increase access to health care and discussed how innovation and technology may improve health care tools like telemedicine.
“Telehealth has been shown to be a convenient and safe way for people to access many types of services when they cannot see their provider in person,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, during the Rules Committee hearing.
Rep. Pallone noted that a study on the impact of telehealth on care quality and program integrity will be published within the next year.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) said this bill would extend several Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were initially linked to the COVID-19 pandemic until the end of 2024.
“This will allow more Medicare practitioner recipients to utilize telehealth services, which is invaluable in rural districts like the one I represent,” he said.
“If we really want to get to real wellness in the world and in the United States, and really think about how to get upstream for illnesses, either to lessen the impact of chronic illness or really to get upstream to limit pretty dramatically acute illnesses,” Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) said. “Innovation and technology offer us the kinds of tools that just weren’t available 10, 15, or 20 years ago.”
Watch the highlights:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_F8w_3qDGo[/embedyt]
