Ahead of government funding set to expire at midnight tonight, the Connected Health Initiative (CHI) urges congressional leaders and the White House to mitigate the negative impacts of a potential shutdown on Medicare beneficiaries, and in particular, the lapse in Medicare telehealth flexibilities that is set to take place.
“Congress extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities, which were implemented during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, has been critical to expanding access to care and flexible services. Including the extension of these critical services as part of larger government funding will come with serious consequences for seniors,” said Brian Scarpelli, executive director of the Connected Health Initiative. “Congressional leaders must reinstate Medicare telehealth flexibilities for as long as possible, and do so urgently. While codifying telehealth services and ensuring permanency of the program should be a priority, right now, an extension is needed to ensure stability and provide clarity for both patients and providers.”
CHI strongly believes that in the event of a government shutdown, it’s essential for Medicare beneficiaries to keep access to the same telehealth services they have relied on for years. Telehealth access serves as a lifeline for Medicare beneficiaries across the country and helps address several barriers to care, such as inadequate transportation, long travel times, patient wait times, and taking time off work. These problems are compounded for patients in rural and underserved areas.
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