U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Oct. 30 introduced bipartisan legislation to expand telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries around the nation.
Sen. Wicker is an original cosponsor of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2019, S. 2741, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, according to the congressional record.
“Telehealth has enabled more people to connect to quality care than ever before, helping to lower costs and improve outcomes,” Sen. Wicker said during a Wednesday press conference to unveil the measure. “This bipartisan legislation recognizes the success of telehealth programs in states like Mississippi, builds on past legislative achievements, and advances access to life-saving tools for more Americans.”
If enacted, S. 2741 would authorize the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive telehealth restrictions when necessary; remove geographic and originating site restrictions for services like mental health and emergency medical care; allow rural health clinics and other community-based health care centers to provide telehealth services; and require a study to find more ways to expand telehealth services, according to a summary provided by the lawmakers.
The same-named companion measure, H.R. 4932, also was unveiled on Oct. 30 by U.S. Reps. Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Mike Thompson (D-CA).
The bill is endorsed by more than 120 organizations, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the American Medical Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the National Association of Community Health Centers, and the National Association of Rural Health Clinics.