Easier access to telehealth services granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency allowed hundreds of thousands of Medicare patients in rural areas to obtain virtual care in the privacy of their homes, saving them the time, money, and the risk of getting an infection in traveling to a distant medical facility to receive it. At the same time, patients in urban, suburban and underserved areas gained access to telehealth services for the first time.
Now, those same lifesaving telehealth flexibilities granted during the pandemic will expire Sept. 30 unless Congress acts.
Supporting telehealth expansion, and the pressing need to make technology work better for patients and physicians alike while searching for solutions to the physician shortage, are key components of AMA advocacy that underpin our strong support for two pieces of legislation now pending in Congress: the CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 (H.R. 4206; S. 1261) and a related measure, the Telehealth Modernization Act (H.R. 5081; S. 2079).
The AMA calls on Congress to eliminate these barriers permanently and recognize telehealth as a critical element of our nation’s ability to care for those in rural and underserved communities. We outline the many reasons why in our recent letter (PDF) to members of the U.S. House of Representatives backing the CONNECT for Health Act, and another letter (PDF) to members of the Senate supporting the Telehealth Modernization Act.
These measures enjoy bipartisan sponsorship and support for good reason. Permanently removing the geographic site restrictions on telehealth services for Medicare patients will allow them to keep receiving care wherever they can access a telecommunications system—including their own homes. It may seem odd now, but the fact is that opportunity was not available to these patients prior to the pandemic.
Before then, Medicare paid for only a limited number of telehealth services, and did so only for patients who resided in rural areas who could travel to a medical facility to receive them. Patients who could not travel for any number of reasons—a lack of mobility, transportation, child care, or a caregiver to accompany them, for example—could not access the virtual care they needed. Lifting the geographic limits also allowed patients in non-rural areas to access telehealth services under Medicare for the first time.
Although telehealth is not as widespread now as it was during the pandemic, its usage rate remains substantially higher than it was prior to 2020, partly because of the temporary removal of the antiquated restrictions that had been in place. Extensions of the flexibilities have been approved over the previous five years, but no permanent change has been made.
While the CONNECT for Health Act does not extend all of the telehealth flexibilities made in response to the pandemic, it will greatly improve access to care. Some of the pending legislation’s most important provisions include removing the requirement for mandatory in-person visits within six months of a telemental health service initiation, permanently authorizing federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services, and supporting expanded use of remote patient monitoring technology.
Additionally, the Telehealth Modernization Act would extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program to allow patients to receive advanced levels of care in their homes, allow patients to participate in virtual diabetes prevention programs, and allow audio-only telehealth services for those lacking internet access or smart devices, among other provisions.
Importance of telehealth
The AMA championed the use of telehealth services and remote patient care long before the pandemic. An important element of our mission is providing physicians with the tools, resources and support they need to seamlessly integrate telehealth into their practices without financial risk or penalty, while giving their patients the opportunity to access telehealth services from the comfort and privacy of their homes, no matter where they live. Telehealth improves continuity of care, reduces no-show rates, and is particularly valuable to seniors, those struggling with mobility issues, and patients living in underserved areas.
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Because the AMA recognizes that telehealth is a critical element of health care going forward, we continue to lead the charge to substantially expand telehealth policy, research and implementation to ensure physician practice sustainability. Payment for health care services should be fair and equitable regardless of the manner in which those services are performed, whether audio-only, two-way audio/video, or in person.
The AMA STEPS Forward® Innovation Academy and our Digital Health Implementation Playbooks are just two of the many free resources we offer online to help physicians broaden and optimize telehealth services through peer-to-peer training and other methods. Our goal is to help physicians everywhere seamlessly integrate telehealth services into their practices, and we are working tirelessly to make that happen.
Expanded telehealth services have paved the way for new and innovative hybrid models of care delivery that combine in-person care, telehealth services and remote monitoring to meet patients’ needs and improve clinical outcomes. We must not relinquish this opportunity to ensure that all Americans receive full access to the care they need to live longer and healthier lives.
