Congress poised to extend telehealth flexibilities

A five-month extension of the telehealth federal public health emergency, set to expire in April, is included in the 2022 omnibus spending bill, which passed the House on March 9. If passed by the Senate, the bill would allow Medicare beneficiaries to continue to receive care via telehealth from their own homes. The bill also postpones the requirement that older adults who seek virtual mental health services must have an in-person visit six months after receiving a telehealth visit. Some observers, including nurses who were pioneers in implementing the technology, see growth in the use of telehealth as the pandemic's silver lining. (Becker’s Hospital Review article, 3/9/22)