A group of 45 elected officials urged congressional leadership to include a short-term extension of Medicare for telehealth services.
On Jan. 28, the lawmakers published a letter to their colleagues in Congress suggesting some of the February government funding legislation should be used to extend and expand funding of Medicare telehealth services for a set period.
"Telehealth has been a critical tool during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that patients continue to receive the healthcare they need while keeping healthcare providers and patients safe," the officials wrote.
The current telehealth flexibilities are tied to the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration, which is renewed in three-month increments.
The officials wrote that an extension would encourage assurance and investment into telehealth services, which in turn would reassure patients that telehealth would be a care option in the long term.