There's Broad-Based Support to Stop Telehealth Cliff

Congress will act prior to the end of flexibilities allowed under the public health emergency, ATA says. There is broad-based and bipartisan support for continuing telehealth flexibilities allowed during the pandemic, but so far Congressional action has been limited. "The CONNECT for Health Act has huge bipartisan support, and Biden has said he would sign," said Kyle Zebley, vice president of Public Policy for the American Telemedicine Association and executive director of ATA Action. "What now happens, there are so few moving bills, things are caught in molasses," Zebley said. "We'll see Congress act, but before the telehealth cliff, in another must-pass bill," he said. The telehealth cliff happens 151 days, or five months, after the end of the public health emergency. Most likely this means the PHE would be continued until the end of the year, extending current telehealth flexibilities for five months into 2023. While everyone supports telehealth continuing in its present form, there are issues around cost and utilization, Zebley said. The Trump and Biden administrations both voiced support for telehealth, according to Zebley.