Congress appears poised to expand telehealth and hospital-at-home flexibility

Update: December 18, 5:57 PM ET: The spending bill’s prospects are now in doubt, after intense pressure from President-elect Donald Trump, along with Elon Musk and others, pushed Republican representatives to a vote. Drop their support For temporary management.

After months and months (and months) of increasingly loud and passionate lobbying efforts, Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill appear to have agreed — but have yet to vote — on a temporary stopgap resolution through the end of the year that will include major extensions of several policies related to telehealth and home care. .

Vote on Appropriations billwhich contains several Medicare and Medicaid provisions long sought by health care and health IT organizations, is expected to take place this week.

Among the provisions for telehealth and remote patient monitoring contained in the Commercial Register:

• Two-year extension of Medicare telehealth flexibility

• Five-year extension of the Hospital-at-Home acute care program

• A two-year extension allows first-dollar coverage of telehealth for high-deductible health plans

The bill also provides allowances for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services to be performed via telehealth in the homes of Medicare beneficiaries over the next two years; A five-year extension allowing presumptive participation in the Medicare diabetes prevention program; and provisions of the SPEAK Act, which requires HHS to develop best practices to improve telehealth services for non-native English speakers.

Industry groups are happy with the draft legislation, not least the American Telemedicine Association, which welcomed the “significant gains” for virtual care in the bill.

“The expansions in this proposed legislation are extremely beneficial to countless Americans, and will give our health care providers and hospital systems some of the certainty and confidence needed to continue investing in needed telehealth services,” Kyle Zepley, executive director of ATA Action, said in a statement. statement.

He added: “This has taken years, and we must ensure that these extensions remain intact while they are presented to a vote in both chambers of Congress and then submitted to President Biden for his signature.” A historic week for the advancement of telehealth and puts us on the path towards a modern healthcare system.”

“The legislation contains a number of critical policies that the American Heart Association has strongly advocated for, including preventing cuts in disproportionate hospital Medicaid payments, reducing physician cuts, and expanding Medicare programs that increase access,” added Stacy Hughes, MD, executive vice president. to rural health care. From the American Hospital Association, in a statement.

“More importantly, the bill also expands telehealth and hospital-at-home programs that expand access to care,” she said. “The American Heart Association appreciates the House and Senate working together on this bipartisan health care package and urges Congress to pass this health care package that will ensure hospitals and health systems can continue to care for their patients and communities.”

“We thank congressional negotiators for promising language in their cutting-edge year-end spending package that will avoid devastating cuts in Medicaid support for essential hospitals, expand telehealth flexibility and the Hospital at Home program, and take other steps to strengthen safety net care,” he added. Dr. Bruce Siegel, President and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals.

Mike Millard is executive editor of Healthcare IT News
Email the writer: mike.milliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.