WASHINGTON, D.C. –Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) joined Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK) and 48 Members of Congress in sending a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma in support of the proposed rule to make permanent the expansion of telehealth benefits that were put in place early on in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Throughout the current, unprecedented crisis, Americans have seen the benefits of expanded telehealth services,” wrote the lawmakers. “Not only do these services help facilitate public health mitigation strategies by increasing social distancing, but these services allow patients to maintain continuity of care to help avoid additional negative consequences from delayed preventative, chronic, or routine care.”

On March 1, 2020, CMS added 135 services to the list of services payable under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule when furnished via telehealth in order to ensure access to quality healthcare throughout the pandemic. These services include emergency department visits, initial inpatient and nursing facility visits, and discharge day management services.

Before this action, approximately 14,000 Medicare beneficiaries per week received a Medicare telehealth service. However, since the expansion at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 10.1 million beneficiaries have received a Medicare service.

The lawmakers continued, “CMS’ proposed rule will help to cement these services, thereby making permanent the commonsense telehealth flexibilities that have helped Medicare beneficiaries during the coronavirus pandemic… As such, we support CMS’ proposed rule and urge you to promulgate the rule to ensure the health and continuity of care for our nation’s seniors and their clinicians.”

You can find the full text of the letter here and below:

Dear Administrator Verma,

We write to thank you for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recently proposed rule, regarding the expansion of telehealth, and to urge our support for promulgation of the rule as proposed.

Throughout the current, unprecedented crisis, Americans have seen the benefits of expanded telehealth services. Not only do these services help to facilitate public health mitigation strategies by increasing social distancing, but these services allow patients to maintain continuity of care to help avoid additional negative consequences from delayed preventive, chronic, or routine care. Further, telehealth services can help to increase participation for those who are medically or socially vulnerable, those who do not have ready access to providers, and those for which an in-person visit is not practical or feasible.

Given these benefits, we have been extremely proud to see telehealth’s expanded use throughout the current crisis. As you know, before the crisis began, only 14,000 beneficiaries per week received a Medicare telehealth service. However, during the crisis, over 10.1 million beneficiaries have received a Medicare telehealth service. This expansion was made possible due to CMS’ addition of 135 services such as emergency department visits, initial inpatient and nursing facility visits, and discharge day management services, that could be paid when delivered by telehealth.

CMS’ proposed rule will help to cement these services, thereby making permanent the common-sense telehealth flexibilities that have helped Medicare beneficiaries during the coronavirus pandemic. This will give clarity in a time of need and will provide consistency and confidence to seniors and clinicians during this unprecedented time. As such, we support CMS’ proposed rule and urge you to promulgate the rule in its proposed version to ensure the health and continuity of care for our nation’s seniors and their clinicians.

Background:
On June 11, Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM) introduced the Increasing Rural Health Access During the COVID-19 Public Emergency Act, a bill that aims to increase telehealth access for rural communities and facilitate the use of remote patient monitoring technology.