House extends virtual care flexibilities beyond public health emergency

With the passage of the bill, which now heads to the U.S. Senate, several COVID-19-era telehealth policies will remain in place for about five months after the public health emergency ends. "We commend legislators for including critical telehealth extensions in this must-pass legislation, ensuring that patients do not fall off a 'telehealth cliff' immediately after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends," said Kyle Zebley, vice president of public policy at the American Telemedicine Association and executive director of ATA Action. Advocates, including the ATA, had warned legislators about the potential for the "telehealth cliff" – namely, that patients and providers used to virtual care would find themselves abruptly cut off. "We are hopeful that the DEA will make progress on this issue in a more permanent fashion and urge Congress and the DEA to continue to prioritize this issue as an important mechanism for patients to obtain medically necessary treatments, particularly for those who have established relationships with their clinicians virtually during the pandemic," said Zebley in a statement on Wednesday. "We’re pleased that the package extends Medicare’s expanded coverage of telehealth services so that seniors nationwide can continue to access care virtually after the end of the public health emergency," said Reps.