Telehealth Will Die In 3 Weeks Without Congressional Action

[summer_in_TX]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2024/12/06/telehealth-will-die-in-3-weeks-without-congressional-action/

Do you or anyone you love have trouble accessing medical care in person because of your own health or the distance of providers? If you or they use telehealth, read this❗️Coverage ends in THREE WEEKS. Congress needs phone calls and emails to make this a high priority to pass now.💥

It’s called the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024, H.R.7623 on the House side and S.3967 on the Senate side.

Telehealth will end on December 31 unless Congress takes urgent action to pass the Telehealth Moderniztion Act of 2024.

Before COVID, Medicare provided limited coverage for telehealth and mainly limited it to rural patients. It required them to go to a local hospital or clinic to interact with a specialist until early 2020. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare greatly expanded coverage to include patients anywhere, allowing them to access specialty care from home. Expanded services also included physical and occupational therapy, emergency department visits, and nursing facility care via telehealth. This expansion provided care to Medicare’s 64 million enrollees and broadened pre-existing access for 76 million low-income Americans on Medicaid.

It’s not just patients on Medicare/Medicaid who need to worry if this bill isn’t renewed. Private insurers often follow Medicare’s lead regarding what services they will cover.

snip…

Why Does Telehealth Matter?
Being able to access medical remotely has been a huge boon to many, particularly in rural areas or those who are disabled.

snip…

I read that first thing this morning, and spent much of my day calling my members of Congress as well as Chuck Schumer's office as well as trying to get the word out to everyone I could think of. It just dawned on me that I forgot about DU.

Inconceivable!

Phone calls are the fastest and most effective thing to do. They are counting the number of phone calls and emails (as well as letters and postcards) they receive on a topic, but the eloquence of emails doesn't matter, just the total count. (BTW, turns out petitions don't count either. Learning that made me wonder if it's just a way to get us to open the email and donate?)

[Clouds Passing]

1. Great

I have telehealth visits scheduled for next year.

[Silver Gaia]

2. Me, too.

[Silver Gaia]

3. It might be really helpful if you could add info about how to find

Senate and House email addresses and phone numbers to your original post.

That would make it easier for people who don't do this sort of thing often, but will be affected by this, to respond to this call to action!

Thanks!

[MadameButterfly]

4. Hows about contacting rural voters who overwhelmingly

supported Trump. I know there is collateral damage. Those of us who are sane don't deserve the repercussions of Trump. But I'd like the Trump voters who are disproportionately affected here to connect the dots.

[SheltieLover]

5. K&R!

[Meowmee]

6. How do we let them know we want it passed? Links please.