WASHINGTON – Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) is praising Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) for their introduction of companion legislation to his and Congresswoman Cindy Axne’s (D-IA) bipartisan KEEP Telehealth Options Act. The bicameral legislation would instruct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the national impact of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, provide Congress with a full accounting of covered telehealth services, survey barriers to access, and make recommendations to Congress on how to enhance the quality of and access to these services.
“Access to care being of critical importance to Ohioans’ wellbeing, it’s urgent Congress lays the groundwork for the responsible, permanent expansion of telehealth services,” said Balderson. “I’m grateful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues: Congresswoman Cindy Axne, for continuing to push with me for telehealth expansion, and Senators Fischer and Rosen for joining in our efforts to make the KEEP Telehealth Options Act law.”
“Expanded telehealth services have allowed millions of Americans to access the medical care they need during this pandemic, especially those in rural communities,” said Fischer. “As a strong advocate for telehealth, I am proud to introduce this bipartisan, common-sense legislation. It would provide valuable information that is needed to determine how we can improve these services to save lives.”
“The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need and demand for reliable and accessible telehealth services,” said Rosen. “Unfortunately, there are still too many communities across the nation – including in Nevada – where telehealth is difficult to access. This bipartisan legislation will help expand and improve telehealth services, and increase the number of Nevadans that will have the opportunity to utilize this technology to protect their health and well-being.”
“I’m pleased to see our legislation aimed at documenting the use and effectiveness of telemedicine gaining momentum with the introduction of the Senate version by Senators Fischer and Rosen,” said Axne. “The coronavirus pandemic unexpectedly pulled us into a demonstration of how important telehealth options are for our seniors and others in need of critical health services – and it is essential that we keep these care options available for patients who won’t stop needing them when this public health emergency is over.”
The legislation awaits consideration in both chambers.
BACKGROUND
Continuing their bipartisan effort to expand telehealth services, Balderson and Axne introduced the owing the Efficiency and Efficacy of Permanent (KEEP) Telehealth Options Act of 2020 (H.R. 7233) in the House of Representatives last month.
The legislation would require HHS to conduct a comprehensive, analytic study and report to Congress on available expanded telehealth services under the current public health emergency (PHE); new provider reimbursement options; take-up of those service, including data points by demographic such as rural, minority, low-income, and elderly populations; take-up of telehealth services for mental and behavioral health care; and a review of the public health impacts of this expansion. This data is crucial in order for Congress to legislate a permanent expansion of telehealth.
It would also require GAO to conduct a study and report to Congress on the efficiency, management, and successes of expanded telehealth programs under the PHE, as well as identify potential fraud risks that could harm Americans. The bill would require the report from GAO to Congress to include recommendations for improvements to PHE telehealth programs in order to expand access with the goal of permanence, and to include recommendations for minimizing barriers to access and reducing fraud. GAO’s suggestions would help Congress incorporate tangible improvements into a permanence effort; this would help ensure all Americans – including rural Ohioans with limited resources and senior citizens often targeted by fraudulent robocalls – have the best possible set of options for safe, accessible care.
The KEEP Telehealth Options Act is currently cosponsored by 22 House Representatives and is endorsed by more than 30 organizations, including American Hospital Association, Ohio Hospital Association, Ohio Association of Community Health Centers, Ohio Children’s Hospital Association, Ohio State Medical Association, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Mount Carmel Health System, University Hospitals, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, OhioHealth, National Council for Behavioral Health, American Physical Therapy Association, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, National Occupational Therapy Association, Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation, American Cochlear Implant Alliance, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America, American Health Quality Association, Association of Mature American Citizens, American Academy of Dermatology Association, National Association for Behavioral Health Care, National Association for Rural Mental Health, The National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors, National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), and The OrthoForum.
Balderson recently penned an opinion editorial on the importance of the permanent expansion of telehealth services for all Americans, including those Balderson represents in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District.
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