Upton joins in plea to ensure states offer telemedicine services to fight coronavirus

To help stem the coronavirus crisis, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) wants to ensure that Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients are able to receive telemedicine services.

States currently have the ability to authorize such services but many have yet to do so, according to a March 6 letter Rep. Upton and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) sent to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma.

“We write to urge you to encourage each state to cover all telemedicine services and work with them to expand their capability to do so,” wrote Reps. Upton and Kennedy. “We need to ensure that everyone remains safe during this emergency and are also able to get any and all healthcare services they need when they need it.”

The lawmakers wrote that during current efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, it is essential to ensure that Medicare not be the only agency responsible for performing telemedicine services, but that Medicaid and CHIP also provide them.

“Combined, these programs serve over 71 million Americans,” according to their letter. “Medicaid and CHIP must have the ability and support they need to provide telemedicine services during the coronavirus pandemic.”

The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, H.R. 6074, which the president signed into law on March 6, provides $8.3 billion to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and also authorizes the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain Medicare telemedicine geographic restrictions during the coronavirus public health emergency response, the congressmen wrote.

“This waiver would allow Medicare beneficiaries to receive care via telemedicine in their homes and ensure that people get the necessary services they need while maintaining the public’s health and safety,” they wrote.