What the House Subcommittee Hearing tells us about Telehealth’s Future

The House subcommittee hearing on telehealth's future highlighted critical issues in reimbursement, care quality, and licensure, with patient advocate Jeanette Ashlock underscoring telehealth's vital role in managing chronic conditions like MS. Lawmakers and healthcare leaders emphasized bipartisan support for permanent telehealth access post-pandemic. Discussions emphasized the need for comprehensive oversight to ensure parity between virtual and in-person care quality. Concerns were raised about telehealth's impact on health inequities, digital access disparities, and payment certainty. Driven by lessons from the pandemic, there's consensus that telehealth's benefits must be preserved without compromising care quality or exacerbating disparities. Urgent legislative action is required to avoid a potential "telehealth cliff" and safeguard patient access. Efforts to address licensure challenges and expand broadband access are key to advancing equitable telehealth policies that benefit all Americans.