Early last month, two identical bills to expand Medicaid reimbursement of telehealth were introduced in Congress. S.2484, or the “CONNECT for Health Act” was introduced to the Senate on February 2nd and H.R.4442 was introduced to the House on February 3rd. According to the National Law Review, the bills propose:
- Waiving, for certain providers, existing sta
tutory limitations on Medicare payments for telehealth and RPM services
- Including limitations based on the patient’s geographic location and on the type of health care provider
- Permitting substitution of telehealth and RPM services for in-person services in several circumstances
- Permitting Medicare Advantage plans to use telehealth and RPM services to provide basic benefits under Medicare Part C
It’s reported that his bill, should it be enacted, would potentially save the federal government $1.8 billion over the next ten years – a figure that has inspired a unified front among senators and representatives. It was a bipartisan group that proposed the bill and who will be seeing it forward.
Numerous influential organizations have also publicly endorsed the bill, including the AARP, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Telemedicine Association. With such widespread support, it’s likely that the bill will be enacted and mark a victory for those that see telemedicine as the long-awaited answer to an inefficient and impractical health care system.
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