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Congress Likely to Kick the Can on Covid-Era Telehealth Policies

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Sarah Jane Tribble, KFF Health News
Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Nearly two hours into a Capitol Hill hearing focused on rural health, Rep. Brad Wenstrup emphatically told the committee’s five witnesses: “Hang with us.”

Federal lawmakers face a year-end deadline to solidify or scuttle an array of covid-era payment changes for telehealth services that include allowing people to stay in their homes to see a doctor or therapist.

During the hearing in early March, Wenstrup and other House members offered personal anecdotes on how telehealth, home visits, and remote monitoring helped their patients, relatives, and constituents. Wenstrup, a Republican from Ohio who is also a podiatric surgeon and a retired Army reservist, told the audience: “Patients are less anxious and heal better when they can be at home.”

Most of the proposals focus on how Medicare covers telehealth services. But the rules affect patients on all types of insurance plans because typically private insurers and some government programs follow Medicare’s example. Without congressional action, virtual health care services like audio-only calls or meeting online with specialty doctors — such as an occupational therapist — could end. The bills would also continue to allow rural health clinics and other health centers to offer telehealth services while waiving a requirement for in-person mental health visits.

Telehealth use ballooned in the early months of the covid-19 pandemic and grew into a household term. The practice has become a popular issue for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

In one U.S. Census Bureau survey conducted from April 2021 to August 2022, Medicare and Medicaid enrollees reported using telehealth visits the most — 26.8% and 28.3%, respectively. The survey of nearly 1.2 million adults also found that Black patients and those earning less than $25,000 reported high rates of telehealth use. Notably, people of color were more likely to use audio-only visits.

Ensuring access to telehealth services “is the best public policy,” said Debbie Curtis, a vice president of McDermott+Consulting, a Washington, D.C.-based health care lobbying firm. “It’s the best business outcome. It’s the best patient care outcome.”

But it’s a presidential election year and Congress is a “deadline-driven organization,” Curtis said. She expects that Congress will be “kicking the can” past the November election.

Kyle Zebley, senior vice president of public policy at the American Telemedicine Association who also lobbies on Capitol Hill, said Congress “might well be in that lame-duck period.” “This is no way to run a health care system on a popular bipartisan issue,” he said.

In January, lawmakers — including senators from Mississippi and South Dakota — sent a letter to the Biden administration urging the White House to work quickly with Congress to ensure payments continue for Medicare patients who use telehealth, “especially for rural and underserved communities.”

Maya Sandalow, a senior policy analyst for the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said lawmakers and policymakers are likely to consider a temporary extension of the payments rather than permanent changes.

“Research is still coming out that covers more recent years than the acute effects of the pandemic,” Sandalow said. The center expects to release policy recommendations in the coming months.

Questions being considered include which kind of health care services are best for audio-only and video visits. Sandalow said researchers are also weighing how telehealth can “expand access to affordable, high-quality care while ensuring in-person options remain for patients.”

In North Dakota, Sanford Health’s David Newman said virtual care is often the only way some of his patients in the western part of the state can get sub-specialty care, such as with behavioral health.

Newman, an endocrinologist and Sanford’s medical officer of virtual care, said 10% to 20% of his patients are seen virtually during the summer, as compared with about 40% in the winter months because “the weather can be so bad” that roads are impassable.

In winters past, Newman would sit around “doing nothing for a day” because patients couldn’t visit him. Now, he has a full clinic using telehealth technology.

“I tell my patients that if you can make a restaurant reservation or if you can order a pizza online, you can do a virtual visit,” Newman said.

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By: Sarah Jane Tribble, KFF Health News
Title: Congress Likely to Kick the Can on Covid-Era Telehealth Policies
Sourced From: kffhealthnews.org/news/article/congress-telehealth-payments-covid-era-policies-deadline-delay/
Published Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Kaiser Health News

As California Taps Pandemic Stockpile for Bird Flu, Officials Keep Close Eye on Spending

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kffhealthnews.org – Don Thompson – 2024-11-14 04:00:00

SUMMARY: California is using state and federal stockpiles to provide up to 10,000 farmworkers with safety gear as the state reports 21 human cases of bird flu. The state began distributing protective equipment in May and has confirmed bird flu at over 270 dairies. Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, California is improving emergency responses and maintaining a stockpile that includes millions of face masks. However, due to financial constraints, funding for disaster supplies has been cut, and some preparedness programs were reduced or eliminated. A ballot measure to increase pandemic preparedness funding failed after its key financial supporter was convicted.

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Kaiser Health News

After Congress Ended Extra Cash Aid for Families, Communities Tackle Child Poverty Alone

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kffhealthnews.org – Kate Wells, Michigan Public – 2024-11-14 04:00:00

SUMMARY: Dr. Mona Hanna, a pediatrician in Flint, Michigan, is championing the Rx Kids program, a pioneering cash aid initiative that provides $1,500 mid-pregnancy and $500 monthly for a child’s first year to Flint families. Since its January launch, nearly all babies born in Flint are enrolled, aiding parents with essential needs like diapers and food. While Rx Kids aims to reduce poverty and inspire lawmakers and donors, challenges remain for expansion in underserved regions like Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where substantial private funding is needed. Ongoing efforts seek to raise awareness and secure resources for this impactful program.

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Kaiser Health News

California Dengue Cases Prompt Swift Response From Public Health Officials

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kffhealthnews.org – Claudia Boyd-Barrett – 2024-11-12 04:00:00

SUMMARY: Jason Farned and his team at the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District have been preparing for dengue’s arrival, with the virus now detected in California. The spread of Aedes mosquitoes, capable of transmitting dengue, has been fueled by climate change and international trade. In 2023, California saw 13 locally acquired cases, prompting efforts like surveillance, pesticide applications, and public education. Authorities are also exploring techniques like sterile mosquito releases to reduce populations. Public cooperation is key, as Aedes mosquitoes are now established in 24 counties, and local outbreaks pose a growing threat to public health.

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