The AMA and more than 300 other physician, healthcare and patient groups have urged the U.S. Senate to follow the example set by a 416-to-12 bipartisan vote in the House of Representatives to allow telemedicine flexibility in regulation and payment for at least two years. I am asking you to continue
Telemedicine access has been “transformative. Patients now expect and often prefer telemedicine as an integral part of their healthcare system,” said the letter (PDF), which states that doctors and other medical institutions say they have been able to “reach out to many patients.” There used to be an access barrier with virtual care. “
This was made possible by flexibility and waivers under the current Public Health Emergency Declaration (PHE), but at the end of COVID-19 PHE, “the clock will be on the current 151 days of telemedicine. Beginning to carve out a statutory extension. Waiver.”
That is why the Senate should follow the lead of the House this fall to pass the Advancing Telemedicine Beyond COVID-19 Act and seek a permanent extension that includes:
- Remove restrictions on patient and physician or other clinician location.
- Remove the in-person requirement for telemental health.
- Ensure continuous access to clinically relevant controlled substances without face-to-face requests.
- Increase access to telemedicine services in the commercial market.
Telemedicine support is an integral part of the AMA Recovery Plan for American physicians.
Telemedicine is important to the future of healthcare. As such, the AMA continues to proactively expand telemedicine policies, research, and resources to lead efforts to ensure the sustainability and fair payment of physician practices.
Read about AMA survey data showing physicians’ strong commitment to telemedicine.
long term
Neither patients nor doctors can follow short-term extensions anymore. Physicians, clinics, and healthcare organizations are facing the “cost of investing in the technical and clinical infrastructure required to maintain telemedicine programs at scale, and the uncertainty of when these telemedicine policies will end. We need to weigh gender,” the letter said.
Meanwhile, patients who use telemedicine “face the potential of being forced back into in-person care.” According to a letter signed by the American Psychiatric Association, the Telemedicine Association of America, this is especially true when it comes to “reaching remote specialists, accessing mental and behavioral health professionals, and receiving telemedicine for chronic illness.” This is a concern for those who and the Diabetes Advocacy Coalition.
“Virtual care is now a fundamental part of the U.S. healthcare system, improving patient access to quality care and enhancing continuity of care well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.” said a letter from the AMA and others.
“While many of the most compelling clinical use cases for virtual care are still emerging, more communities than ever before are experiencing the powerful impact telemedicine has had to fill the care gap. Telemedicine is helping to address crisis-level mental health, primary care, and other workforce shortages.
“Many underserved communities that historically had limited access to care are now providing additional support to the workforce and top specialists to save lives and treat critically ill patients. “Unfortunately, without remote care legal certainty, the hard work of building the infrastructure, trust and relationships with these communities has stalled. I am starting.”
Discover nine critical steps to increasing equity in the emerging telemedicine environment.
