Reps Axne and Hudson Introduces Legislation to Continue Telehealth Options for Iowans

Rep. Cindy Axne (DIA-03) and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-08) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure key telehealth services offered during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue for two years after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued waivers allowing Medicare beneficiaries to access necessary services through telehealth and making more providers eligible to offer telehealth. This includes necessary flexibilities like making Medicare beneficiaries eligible for telehealth regardless of where they live and allowing at-home telehealth visits. According to recent data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 28.2 million Medicare beneficiaries – over half the beneficiary population – have used telemedicine during the pandemic. HHS also reports that 92% of Medicare telehealth visits in 2020 took place with beneficiaries in their homes, an option that was unavailable prior to COVID-19. The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act would extend these critical flexibilities, ensure that rural health clinics and community health centers may continue to provide telehealth, include provisions to deter fraud and abuse, and commission a study on the impact of these extended flexibilities to help chart a course toward permanent telehealth services.