Google, Ascension and Johns Hopkins Health System are among 340 stakeholders that signed a June 29 letter urging Congress to make permanent the telehealth expansions granted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organizations asked Congress to take immediate action to ensure CMS is able to expand telehealth services after the national health emergency is over.
The requests include removing restrictions on patient location so patients can access care at home; enhancing HHS authority to determine appropriate providers and services for telehealth; making sure federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics can support telehealth services after the public health emergency; and making the HHS temporary waiver authority permanent for future emergencies.
Other organizations signing the letter include Epic, Keck Medicine of USC, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Amwell, Teladoc, the American Telemedicine Association and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Click here to view the full letter and list of organizations.