Telehealth services expanded under bipartisan, bicameral Wicker, Johnson bill

Bipartisan legislation introduced last week by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) would expand Medicare coverage of telehealth services and make permanent COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities.

The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021, S. 1512, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 48 other cosponsors, also would improve health outcomes for Americans and make it easier for patients to safely connect with their doctors, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Wicker’s office.

“Telehealth is enabling more people to receive the care they need, leading to improved outcomes and lower costs,” Sen. Wicker said last week. “This bipartisan legislation would build on the success of telehealth in states like Mississippi to eliminate existing barriers and expand access to lifesaving care for more Americans.”

The companion bill, H.R. 2903, was introduced on April 28 by Reps. Johnson and Mike Thompson (D-CA).

“Telehealth has surged in popularity over the last year due to the pandemic,” Rep. Johnson said. “To keep the ball rolling in the right direction, we’ve got to remove some of the barriers that limit the use of telehealth and make responsible, permanent changes. This legislation does just that.”

If enacted, the CONNECT for Health Act would permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to include the home and other sites, the summary says, and would permit health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services, a current, temporary provision.

Additionally, the measure would provide the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services with the permanent authority to waive telehealth restrictions; allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and require a study to learn more about how telehealth has been used during the ongoing pandemic, according to the summary.

The bill has been endorsed by more than 130 organizations, including AARP, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Hospital Association, Children’s National Hospital, the Federation of American Hospitals, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the National Association of Rural Health Clinics, among others.