On July 31, CHA sent a letter to Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), voicing support for the Protecting Access to Post-COVID–19 Telehealth Act of 2020 (H.R. 7663). The bill would remove long-standing barriers to telehealth services and improve access to care for not just Californians but patients across the country.
Importantly, the bill would allow critical flexibility during public health emergencies and help protect the health care heroes delivering care to their communities every day. In addition, CHA strongly supports the bill’s expanded authority that would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive or modify Medicare telehealth requirements during an emergency period.
CHA believes that, by increasing access to care outside a hospital’s walls, both patients and hospitals will benefit and looks forward to working with Rep. Thompson to ensure the passage of H.R. 7663.