Telehealth Group Cites 'Growing Concern' About Shutdown
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) said Friday that health care providers and patients have “growing concern” about the lapse in Medicare reimbursements of qualified telehealth spending amid the government shutdown, which began Oct. 1. In September, just ahead of that appropriations lapse, the group urged Congress to commit to retroactive reimbursement of telehealth spending following a shutdown (see 2509220058). “In the absence of federal coverage for the Medicare population, an increasing number of health systems and providers are scaling back telehealth services,” ATA Federal Affairs Director Alexis Apple said Friday.
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“This unsustainable situation is forcing providers to make a difficult choice, to either suspend virtual care altogether or continue offering these essential services with no guarantee of reimbursement,” Apple said. “Our members are experiencing increased patient cancellations, no-shows, or unnecessary in-person visits and are having to reallocate staff to mitigate additional workforce challenges. This will only continue to get worse as the shutdown continues.” ATA also wants “clear guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Congress on extensions” of temporary rule changes expanding Medicare eligibility for telehealth services, which Congress first enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2006170065), Apple said.