WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, and a bipartisan group of 58 senators introduced legislation to expand telehealth access in Maine and across the country. The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act would permanently expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors. Current flexibilities are set to expire on September 30 unless Congress approves the extension.
"One fifth of the U.S. population resides in rural or medically underserved communities where access to virtual care is vital, allowing patients to receive necessary care from the comfort and safety of their homes,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation will permanently remove barriers to telehealth and ensure that more Americans can efficiently and safely connect with their health care providers.”
“As one of the most rural states in the nation, Maine people already face many challenges when accessing affordable, quality healthcare,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan CONNECT for Health Act would ensure that telehealth – which so many rural Maine people rely on – remains available for the foreseeable future. I am happy to work with all of my colleagues on common sense legislation that keeps Maine people living healthier lives.”
Specifically, the CONNECT for Health Act would:
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 have been 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.
The bill has the support of more than 150 organizations including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, and American Telemedicine Association.
In addition to Senators Collins and King, the bill was introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Peter Welch (D-VT), John Barrasso (R-WY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Thune (R-SD), Tina Smith (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Fetterman (D-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jim Justice (R-WV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Todd Young (R-IN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Steve Daines (R-MT), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and John Boozman (R-AR).
The full text of the bill is available here.
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