WASHINGTON – Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) and Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D-IA)—a bipartisan team that has championed the responsible, permanent expansion of telehealth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—today reintroduced their flagship legislation, the KEEP Telehealth Options Act. The bill would instruct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), and Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) to study and report to Congress on the expansion of telehealth services during the COVID-19 outbreak, the uptake of those services by patients across the country, and recommendations for enhancing the quality of and access to these services. Companion legislation is expected to be introduced today in the U.S. Senate by Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
“At nearly the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changing Ohioans’ daily lives, many routine activities continue to take place online, including work, schooling, socialization, and healthcare, to name a few,” said Balderson. “For many rural and low-income Ohioans, this shift to telehealth has been beneficial, breaking down previous barriers for them to access quality care. By permanently expanding telehealth services, we can level the healthcare playing field for years to come.”
“Over the past year, I have heard from Iowa’s doctors, hospitals, and patients about how effective telemedicine options have been at continuing health care appointments during this pandemic. Telehealth should become a part of our continuum of care even after this pandemic ends because it can often be safer, quicker, and more cost effective,” said Axne. “Use of telehealth during this pandemic has proven how effective and important telehealth options are for older Iowans or those who live farther from a health center. Rep. Balderson and I recognize the golden opportunity we have now to document how these services have been implemented and where improvements can be made so we can chart a path to keeping these options available for patients who won’t stop needing them when this pandemic is over.”
The KEEP Telehealth Options Act is endorsed by Ohio Hospital Association, OhioHealth, Ohio State Medical Association, Ohio Association of Community Health Centers, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Mount Carmel Health System, Ohio Children's Hospital Association, Ohio Physical Therapy Association, and University Hospitals.
“The Ohio Hospital Association applauds Congressman Balderson’s bipartisan work to support and expand telehealth options for Ohioans; it is critical that we have a complete picture of telehealth use during the pandemic so we can assess how best to move forward with permanence,” said Scott Borgemenke, Senior Vice President of Advocacy for Ohio Hospital Association. “The KEEP Telehealth Options Act will help build the case for our hospitals and providers to continue treating all patients, even when their physical presence is not the best option.”
“Ohio’s Community Health Centers applaud Congressman Balderson for his continued leadership in expanding the list of providers that have telehealth capabilities and ensuring the necessary stability supports are in place during and after the Public Health Emergency,” said Julie DiRossi-King, Chief Operating Officer for the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers. “This legislation will provide Community Health Centers with the needed flexibility to offer more access to care options so Ohioans can receive much-needed care regardless of transportation or other access barriers in some of our most underserved communities.”
“The global COVID pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telehealth technologies as a means of delivering health care services,” said Ujjwal Ramtekkar, Medical Director for Virtual Behavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, telehealth services experienced a nearly 1,000% growth in 2020. It allowed us to provide needed care for children who could not be with us in person, and it actually improved health care access for families in rural and underserved communities, who would have otherwise suffered disproportionately during the pandemic. With each encounter, families saved time they otherwise would have spent traveling, they saved the cost of transportation, and they avoided possible financial loss associated with time off work. The Keep Telehealth Options Act will ensure that as telehealth expands, Congress has the necessary data to make informed policy decisions.”
Balderson and Axne previously introduced the Knowing the Efficiency and Efficacy of Permanent (KEEP) Telehealth Options Act in June 2020 during the 116th Congress. The previous version of the legislation required the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—rather than MedPAC and MACPAC—to produce a report. In the current version, MedPAC and MACPAC were determined to be best suited to conduct said report, given the agencies’ expertise with the relevant health programs.
###
