AONL, other stakeholders urge action on telehealth

In a letter to Congress, the AONL joined 340 stakeholders urging the nation’s leaders to make the telehealth flexibilities authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic permanent. At the outset of the pandemic, Congress waived restrictions on Medicare telehealth services to ensure beneficiaries broader access to health care providers during the crisis. As a result, many older Americans have had unprecedented access to high-quality virtual care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services do not have the authority to change Medicare reimbursement policy, so without action from Congress, the letter states, Medicare beneficiaries will lose this expanded coverage when the COVID-19 emergency declaration ends. (AONL letter, 6/29/20)