When the current public health emergency ends, so do many of the waivers put in place to help providers through the pandemic. Telehealth is the big exception, getting an additional 151 days before a loss of flexibilities such as the ability for patients to get virtual care from their home, Healthcare Finance reports.
Congressional action is needed, and lawmakers are expected to act before the telehealth cliff. Members may need all of that time to sort through what will be allowed, according to Jacob Harper, partner at Morgan Lewis.
Everyone has either their own telehealth bill or is a sponsor on a telehealth bill, he said. The Connect for Health Act, which would expand the use of telehealth and remote patient monitoring services in Medicare, has 68 Senate sponsors, but hasn’t come up for a vote yet.
There are also questions on cost. The Congressional Budget Office scoring of proposed telehealth bills awaits more data on the savings provided by telehealth, such as whether it reduces trips to the hospital, said Harper. Read more.
