WIBW-TV Topeka, Kan.
Senators call on congressional leaders to extend pandemic telehealth securities
By Sarah Motter
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Both of Kansas’s elected U.S. Senators are calling on congressional leaders to include language that extends telehealth securities set in place during the COVID-19 pandemic in upcoming legislation to ensure continued service.
U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) say they have joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of 45 legislators to call for an extension of the expanded coverage of telehealth services to be included in must-pass legislation in February.
Sen. Marshall said provisions from the CONNECT for Health Act were included in previous COVID-19 relief bills to allow Medicare beneficiaries to use telehealth services and to expand types of health care providers eligible to provide telehealth.
However, these provisions are set to expire after the pandemic passes, unless congressional leaders extend those measures or take steps to ensure their permanency.
“We strongly support permanently expanding Medicare coverage of telehealth and removing other barriers to the use of telehealth because of its ability to expand access to care, reduce costs, and improve health outcomes,” said Senate and House leadership in a letter sent to majority and minority leaders. " While Congress prepares to enact permanent telehealth legislation, we urge you to include an extension of the pandemic telehealth authorities in must-pass government funding legislation in February.”
In addition to Marshall and Moran, the letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Kyrsten Sinema(D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Angus King (I-Maine), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Chris Van Hollen(D-Md.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), James Langevin(D-R.I.), Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and Michael Guest (R-Miss.).
To read the full text of the letter sent to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, click HERE.