Latta bill would clear way for wider provision of mental health telehealth services

U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) on Monday unveiled a bipartisan bill that would remove licensing barriers so that healthcare professionals could be temporarily permitted to provide mental health services via telehealth during future public health emergencies.

“In the event of a future public health emergency, medical providers should be able to provide services to patients no matter where they live and without being forced to jump through unnecessary regulatory hoops,” Rep. Latta said, noting that the measure would “remove bureaucratic hurdles so that patients can receive the care they need.”

Rep. Latta on Sept. 18 sponsored the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment (TREAT) Act, H.R. 5541, alongside lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) to temporarily waive state reciprocity laws to allow mental telehealth services to be provided across state lines during the event of a public health emergency.

Currently, healthcare professionals must maintain licenses in each state where they provide services, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Latta’s staff.

“Even before the COVID pandemic, people across the country were struggling with mental health related challenges,” said Rep. Latta. “And during this time, we recognized the substantial role telehealth plays in providing countless Americans with health services.”

H.R. 5541 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of expanding access to care, including mental health care, through telehealth in order to reach patients where they are when they need it the most,” said Rep. Dingell. “We cannot let bureaucratic red tape get in the way of Americans’ mental health, especially during challenging public health emergencies. The TREAT Act will expand access to mental health care during future emergencies to ensure patients don’t have to forego this critical care.”