It is anticipated that Congress will extend telehealth access rules for Medicare patients, though likely not until after the election. This delay could have significant repercussions, Politico reported Aug. 9.
Since the introduction of pandemic-era telehealth provisions in 2020, tens of millions of beneficiaries have utilized these services. CMS lacks the authority to extend these rules independently and has proposed allowing them to expire at the end of 2024.
Earlier this year, the House Ways and Means and the Energy and Commerce committees advanced separate two-year extensions of the telehealth rules. Despite bipartisan support for extending these provisions, they are expected to be included in an end-of-year legislative package, with lawmakers needing to find offsets for the cost.
This uncertainty has prompted providers to develop contingency plans, the report said.
Kyle Zebley, vice president of public policy at the American Telemedicine Association, criticized the situation.
"It's being disruptive now, but it's going to be tremendously disruptive if we allow this to lapse," he told Politico.
Providers are growing anxious as they face the prospect of a temporary solution.
Dave Newman, MD, chief medical officer of virtual care at Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, expressed concern to the publication about the potential need for "large-scale communications" and "creative solutions" to ensure patient care if Congress fails to act in time.
Meanwhile, Raj Patel, MD, vice president of digital patient experience at Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, told Politico delayed action could lead to disruptions in access and financial stability.
Brett Meeks, executive director of the Health Innovation Alliance, told the publication that if Congress postpones the extension, CMS might resort to an interim final rule without public input to ensure continued telehealth access.
CMS told Politico it will utilize "every tool at our disposal" to support telehealth services.
Helen Hughes, MD, medical director of the telemedicine office at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine, views the situation with cautious optimism.
"We're going to assume Congress will follow through on their plans, but we're also preparing our front-line teams for a potential unwinding of care," she told the publication.
The telehealth access rules for Medicare patients are set to expire at the end of 2024.