The National Alliance for Care at Home is leading efforts to urge Congress to extend telehealth flexibilities it says have improved access to home health and hospice care by allowing virtual face-to-face recertification visits.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Alliance Leads National Coalition for Telehealth Flexibility Extension: The Alliance is advocating for the continuation of telehealth provisions that have enhanced home health and hospice care across the US.
- Virtual F2F Recertifications Improve Access and Reduce Burdens: Telehealth flexibility has allowed remote face-to-face recertifications, reducing administrative burdens and improving patient access to essential care services.
- Bipartisan Legislation Supports Telehealth Extension: The extension of these telehealth provisions is included in bipartisan legislation, HR 8261, which has passed through the House Ways & Means Committee.
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is spearheading a national coalition of home health, hospice, and palliative care organizations to urge Congress to extend telehealth flexibilities it says have enhanced both home care and hospice care across the United States.
These flexibilities, which are set to expire at the end of 2024, have allowed providers to conduct face-to-face (F2F) recertification visits remotely, reducing administrative burdens and improving patient access to essential care services.
The extension of these telehealth provisions is addressed in bipartisan and bicameral legislation, including HR 8261 – the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act, which was unanimously passed out of the House of Representatives’ Ways & Means Committee earlier this year. Both hospice and home health communities have widely adopted these flexibilities. The Alliance calls on lawmakers to ensure that the F2F telehealth flexibility is included in any upcoming legislative package.
“Telehealth has transformed care delivery in both hospice and home health, particularly in rural and underserved areas,” says Steve Landers, MD, CEO for the Alliance, in a release. “Virtual F2F recertifications have freed up clinicians to focus more on urgent patient care, and this flexibility has allowed providers to continue serving patients efficiently and safely. Both sectors have seen improvements in access to care and a reduction in unnecessary travel burdens for providers and families.”
The coalition’s letter, signed by 39 national and state organizations, notes the importance of these flexibilities in maintaining access to care, especially for vulnerable populations.
