Telehealth Expansion Bill Introduced
Washington,
February 7, 2023
On February 2, Reps. Suzan Delbene (D-WA), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Angie Craig (D-MN), Ron Estes (R-KS), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), and Rick Allen R-GA) introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to employer-sponsored telehealth benefits. The “Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act” would allow employers to offer workers stand-alone telehealth benefits, like dental and vision plans, in addition to traditional health care plans. The bill would enable all workers, including part-time and seasonal workers, to access telehealth benefits, and ensure patients can connect with their health care providers from their own homes. Additionally, the bill sponsors say the legislation will help to provide employers with more certainty and access to expanded long-term access to telehealth benefits that would not be tied to the COVID-19 public health emergency, as currently is the scenario for several of the Medicare telehealth services. During the last Congress, this legislation was supported on a bipartisan basis. |
