As COVID-19-era telehealth regulations expire, lawmakers and industry advocates aim to finalize telehealth regulations in three areas, Bloomberg Law reported Dec. 29.
Here are the three telehealth regulation areas to be decided upon in 2024:
- Medicare waivers: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS introduced waivers that allowed physicians to receive Medicare payments regardless of location. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, introduced the CONNECT Act, a bill with 61 cosponsors that would eliminate geographic telehealth restrictions.
- Expansion to underinsured: Underinsured patients and those with high deductible plans were able to access telehealth services through CARES Act flexibility. The Telehealth Expansion Act would make those changes permanent.
- Controlled substance prescriptions: The TREATS Act would allow for the prescription of opioid use disorder drugs via telehealth.