Monday, February 8^th, Senators Catherine Cortez Mastro (D-NV) and Todd Young (R-IN), introduced legislation, the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act, (bill summary here) that would extend the Medicare telehealth waivers for two more years after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The bill sponsors and several stakeholder organizations are pushing to include this legislation in a spring funding package, or possibly with the continuing resolution set to expire in less than two weeks.

The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act is an extensive bill. Several practitioners, FQHCs and rural health clinics, that were provided with expanded telehealth flexibilities during the PHE would be allowed to continue these flexibilities for two years post PHE. The bill would require HHS to study the impact of the pandemic telehealth flexibilities to better inform Congress’ work to make telehealth flexibilities permanent using comprehensive cost and data. The study should include the effects of changes to telehealth under the Medicare and Medicaid programs during the COVID-19 emergency. Specifically, the number of telehealth visits (audio-only and video visits, and in-person visits), disaggregated by service type (i.e., mental health, primary care). Additionally, the study should review any changes in utilization over the course of the PHE, and geographic data on both the patients utilizing telehealth services and the corresponding providers offering telehealth services. HHS would make available to Congress an interim report one year after passage of the bill, and a final report 18 months after the expiration of the PHE.

The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act is similar to a House bill (H.R.6202), introduced in December 2021. The bills also support recommendations included in a sign-on letter sent to Congressional leadership last week, urging a temporary telehealth extension before taking up permanent legislation to expand access in 2024. LeadingAge and its Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), joined 336 of the nation’s health care provider and patient organizations, in signing this letter.

Questions?

Contact:

Laura Hofmann, MSN, RN – Director of Clinical and Nursing Facility Regulatory Services
c: 425-231-4804