Telehealth Extension Bill Advanced, as Recommended by HRS and Others
Earlier this year, HRS and over 200 organizations signed a joint letter urging Congress to extend expiring telehealth flexibilities, and more recently, encouraged CMS in a comment letter to work with Congress to maintain such flexibilities.
The COVID-era telehealth are currently scheduled to expire on December 31, 2024.
On September 18, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously advanced the Telehealth Modernization Act (H.R.7623). This legislation extends telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2026, including those related to geographic and originating site restrictions, practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services, telehealth services for federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics, and the furnishing of audio-only telehealth services.
The package also includes provisions from the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act (H.R.1406), which would extend for two years patients’ ability to access virtual cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services through audio-visual real-time communications technology in the home.