Two U.S. senators have introduced a bill that would temporarily extend pandemic-era policies that expanded Medicare's coverage of telehealth services.
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Todd Young, R-Ind., introduced the legislation that would extend coverage of a range of services, including virtual substance abuse treatment, through 2024.
"The telehealth flexibilities put in place by Congress during the early days of the COVID pandemic played a critical role in allowing the most vulnerable Hoosiers to access care safely," said Mr. Young. "As Congress evaluates which changes to make permanent, many of these flexibilities are set to expire. We should act now to ensure seniors continue to benefit from these important remote health care services."
The bill would also kickstart a study on the extended flexibilities to determine whether they should be made permanent.