AHA offers feedback to Congress on expanding telehealth

The American Hospital Association provided feedback to Congressional Telehealth Caucus leaders. AHA encouraged House and Senate leaders to consider adding provisions to legislation that have expanded access to care during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Among AHA’s recommendations are to include provisions to eliminate originating and geographic site restrictions and expand eligible provider types; repeal the in-person visit requirement for behavioral telehealth and distant site restrictions on federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics; and to reimburse on a par with in-person visits. Meanwhile, a study released this week shows the benefits of telemedicine outweigh its operating costs in almost any scenario. Another study found telemedicine could be a comparable alternative to in-person opioid-use disorder treatment. (AHA News article, 1/31/23)