Natural State News

Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas) joined 56 of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies for Health Act (CONNECT Act). The legislation will expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make permanent COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors.

“Eliminating certain restrictions for telehealth services allows Arkansans greater access to healthcare without traveling long distances. This bill will keep these services in place even after the public health emergency expires,” said Senator Cotton.

“Telehealth provides opportunities for Arkansans to receive treatment from health care providers no matter where they live. Patients have had positive outcomes as a result of this technology and we must continue to utilize the potential it has to transform medical care. This legislation will ensure rural and underserved populations continue to have access to this critical tool to improve their health,” said Senator Boozman.

Bill text may be found here.

Background:

• The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress.
• Since 2016, several provisions of the bill were enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care, and home dialysis.
• Three provisions from the CONNECT for Health Act were signed into law in 2020. As a result, there was a sharp rise in use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic as patients avoided traveling to hospitals and other health care settings and instead chose to receive care at home.
• Data shows that telehealth provides essential access to care with nearly a quarter of Americans accessing telehealth in the past month.

The CONNECT Act will:

• Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to include the home and other sites;
• Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
• Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
• Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirement for telemental health services;
• Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
• Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care, and how it can be improved to support patients and health care providers.

Original source can be found here.