The week of Sept. 17-23 would be designated as Telehealth Awareness Week under a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Reps. Bill Johnson (R-OH) and John Curtis (R-UT).
House Resolution (H.Res.) 676, which Rep. Johnson sponsored alongside three original cosponsors, including Rep. Curtis and U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), aims to unite the efforts of patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to advance the role of telehealth in health care, according to the text of the resolution.
“We all learned during the COVID-19 pandemic about the value of telehealth, and it continues to be in huge demand today, especially in rural America,” Rep. Johnson said. “I’ve heard from patient after patient and provider after provider who’ve taken advantage of emerging, safe telehealth services, and this resolution helps shine a light on available resources that will lead to more opportunities, including increased accessibility to specialized telehealth care.”
“Now is the time to demonstrate what an incredible resource telehealth already is to many and can be to even millions more,” said Rep. Johnson.
If enacted, H.Res. 676 would resolve that the U.S. House of Representatives recognizes the impact of telehealth in delivering healthcare services for patients across the United States. It would also urge that steps be taken to raise awareness about the benefits of expanding telehealth; to highlight resources for healthcare providers and patients regarding telehealth; to collect and analyze data on the impacts of telehealth; and to promote continued access to telehealth for all communities and across settings permanently, the text says.
“This resolution sends a strong message to the American people that Congress is serious about finding bipartisan solutions to creating a more affordable and accessible healthcare system,” said Rep. Curtis. “I look forward to building off recent successes in telehealth and ensuring millions of Americans maintain access to these services, especially individuals living in rural communities that often lack healthcare options.”
Rep. Matsui, who agreed that telehealth has become an essential part of the U.S. healthcare system, added that the resolution also recommits Congress to extending permanent access to it. “I look forward to continuing to work with this bipartisan group of telehealth champions to ensure every American has access to high-quality, life-saving health care,” she said.
The American Telemedicine Association supports the resolution.