U.S. needs telehealth to avoid regressing in health care access during federal shutdown, ATA says

© Proxima Studio - stock.adobe.com

The U.S. health care system will take a step backward if federal leaders no longer allow telehealth services that expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).

On Oct. 1, the federal government shut down due to lack of a budget. Sept. 30 also was the expiration date for some of the flexibilities that were allowed for Medicare beneficiaries during the pandemic and that continued since, largely with bipartisan support.

Physicians and other clinicians need a retroactive telehealth reimbursement provision to be paid for services supplied to patients during the shutdown. Congress and the White House also must find a way to reinstate the telemedicine allowances and continue the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, according to ATA Action, the policy affiliate of ATA.

“Medicare patients woke up this morning without telehealth coverage for the first time since the pandemic, five years ago,” Zebley said in an Oct. 1 statement. “Our health care services are regressing, falling woefully short for millions of patients in need.”

President Donald J. Trump has been the most transformative president in history for virtual care. During the pandemic, physicians and other clinicians had “unprecedented” adoption of new ways to integrate communications technology into patient care, Zebley said.

“No one is in a better position to end this cycle of short-term thinking and make these vital telehealth flexibilities permanent and cement his legacy of healthcare modernization and innovation,” Zebley said. “We are grateful to Congress and the administration for their continued bipartisan leadership and historic support for telehealth. Their efforts have been instrumental in expanding access to care, and we look forward to working collaboratively to immediately reinstate these vital services to ensure millions of patients can continue to receive care where and when they need it.”

ATA Action sent letters to the president’s office and to Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota), Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York), House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York).

While some hospitals may absorb costs, some physicians and health systems already started blocking virtual visits for beneficiaries. Smaller clinics cannot sustain telehealth services without certainty, and the financial strain could force closures, according to ATA Action.