Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, federal policymakers enacted 31 changes to facilitate greater access to telehealth. The members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions questioned, how many of these changes should be made permanent and ensure that the most vulnerable won’t be left behind.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn said that today we have the opportunity to decide how we can deploy telehealth to expand access to healthcare for everyone.

Presently, though telehealth has been a lifeline for many, it has been observed that telehealth is not the great equalizer, said Smith.

She also said that the disparities in access to this technology show the underlying inequity that exists throughout society.

HELP Committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., supported two particular policy changes, which could be made permanent: the originating site rule, which will allow physicians to be reimbursed for telehealth appointments irrespective of where the patient is located including patient’s home, and the expansion of Medicare- and Medicaid-reimbursable telehealth services.

Alexander said that their job was to ensure that change is done with certain goals in mind, which are better outcomes and better patient experiences at a lower cost.

He also explained the importance of ensuring the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services possesses the flexibility to expand the list that mentions the eligible providers and to maintain the authority to add or remove specific telehealth services, as supported by data. This will allow federally qualified health centers and rural health centers to keep delivering virtual care to support telehealth programs through grants.

Dr. Joseph Kvedar, president of the American Telemedicine Association said, we must ensure that essential telehealth services shouldn’t just end abruptly with the public health emergency as we look ahead to reorient the healthcare system to deliver 21st-century care.

Dr. Karen S. Rheuban, director of the University of Virginia Center for Telehealth mentioned the potential barriers presented by uneven coverage from the private insurance sector. As the demand for telehealth rose it was tough to stand up an expansive telehealth program with varied payers covering different services.

She said harmonization among different payers would work as a huge incentive for adoption and expansion.