A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers called unsuccessfully for the permanent extension of expanded coverage of telehealth services to be included in the stopgap legislation passed earlier this week. The letter was sent to congressional leaders the same day Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NM) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced a bipartisan bill to extend Medicare telehealth flexibilities for two years.
According to a press announcement, “The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act would allow Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend Medicare payments for a broad range of telehealth services, including for substance abuse treatment, for an additional two years. The bill would also commission a study on the impact of the pandemic telehealth flexibilities extended in this bill in order to better inform Congress’ work to make telehealth flexibilities permanent.” The bill is similar to a bipartisan bill proposed by Ways and Means Committee leaders last year, the Telehealth Extension Act, which would also extend COVID-19 emergency telehealth waivers for another two years while making permanent other provisions such as ending geographic and site restrictions on where patients can receive approved telehealth services.
Author(s)
Stuart J. Oberman, Esq.
Stuart J. Oberman is the founder and President of Oberman Law Firm. Mr. Oberman graduated from Urbana University and received his law degree from John Marshall Law School. Mr. Oberman has been practicing law for over 30 years, and before going into private practice, Mr. Oberman was in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 Company.
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