American Hospital Association backs bill to expand telemedicine

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The American Hospital Association has come out in support of bipartisan legislation introduced in the House of Representatives that would require the Department of Health and Human Services, the Medicare Payments Advisory Commission, and the Medicaid and CHIP Commission on Payments and Access to study the expanded use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommend potential improving access and quality of telemedicine.

In a letter to Ohio Republican Representative Troy Balderson, the AHA said it supported HR 1110, the Permanent Telehealth Options Effectiveness and Efficiency Act (KEEP).

The law requires HHS, MedPAC, and MACPAC to report and make recommendations on telehealth. These reports will include the expansion of telemedicine services during the COVID-19 outbreak, the use of these services by patients across the country, and recommendations for improving the quality of and access to these services.

The draft law also asks each organization to provide recommendations for possible improvement and expansion, as well as approaches to address and prevent fraudulent activity.

Last week, Balderson said the data is critical to congressional passage of legislation to permanently expand telehealth.

“Telemedicine is helping to better connect patients and providers, reducing the need for long-distance travel for routine personal care and consultations,” said Balderson, who introduced the bill along with representatives Susie Lee (D-NV), Ashley Hinsno (R-IA) and Joe Negus (D-CO).

AGA agreed.

“Telemedicine has provided a critical way for patients to continue receiving the care they need, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the organization said in a letter. “We appreciate the flexibilities implemented during the public health emergency and recently extended through 2024 as they allow hospitals and health systems to continue providing virtual patient care.”

WHAT INFLUENCES

To help beneficiaries maintain access to health care under stay-at-home orders designed to reduce exposure associated with COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services used congressional emergency waiver powers and existing regulators to enforce policies. expanding access to telemedicine services during the pandemic.

These include waiving several statutory restrictions such as geographic restrictions and allowing beneficiaries to receive telemedicine in their homes.

A comprehensive spending package, passed in December, extended telemedicine and inpatient home care programs after the end of the public health emergency. Legislation expands exceptions for both programs. Telemedicine flexibilities remain in effect until the end of 2024.

Outside of a public health emergency, Medicare is generally limited to paying for telehealth services in certain, mostly rural areas, and when beneficiaries leave home and seek the service at a clinic, hospital, or other healthcare facility.

In a Physician Pay Schedule Rule published in November, CMS announced that for the first time outside of COVID-19 PHE, Medicare will pay for psychiatric clinic visits provided by federally qualified rural clinics and health centers through video-based interactive telemedicine, in including telephone conversations with sound only.

BIG TREND

In October 2022, after three months of relative stability, the use of telemedicine in the country decreased by 3.7%. Looking at one specific metric, telemedicine increased from 5.4% of medical filing lines in September to 5.2% in October, according to FAIR Health’s Monthly Regional Telemedicine Tracker.

The decline in telemedicine use was greater than the national average in the South (6.8%), Midwest (4.9%), and West (4.1%), while usage increased by 1.0% in the Northeast. 7%.

Data represent the privately insured population, including Medicare Advantage and excluding Medicare and Medicaid with pay-for-service.

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