Lawmakers call for extending telemedicine prescribing

Eleven bipartisan senators urged President Biden to extend flexibilities on telemedicine services enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group, led by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also registered their opposition to a proposed rule that the Drug Enforcement Agency is reportedly advancing to limit telemedicine prescribing. The rule would require a prescriber to limit their prescriptions given through telemedicine to no more than half of their total. The senators want the DEA to work with stakeholders to develop a proposal prioritizing “the public health benefit for continued access to telemedicine, and finalize an additional temporary extension well before the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline so that providers and patients have certainty that there will be no gap in their ongoing care.” (Sen. Whitehouse letter, 10/11/24)