Senate Panel Floats Telehealth Expansion For Medicare Mental Health Care
Included in a telehealth "bill of rights" issued by the Senate Finance Committee Thursday is a measure that would allow Medicare beneficiaries to receive mental health services online without first seeing a provider in person. That requirement was lifted during the pandemic and lawmakers said it was successful.
Modern Healthcare:
Senate Finance Leaders Propose Bill To Expand Telehealth For Mental Healthcare
A bipartisan group of Senate Finance Committee leaders on Thursday proposed expanding telehealth access for mental health services. The committee issued a discussion draft that pushes to eliminate Medicare's in-person visit requirement prior to patients seeking online mental health services. This requirement has not gone into effect due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. But when the emergency ends, it would limit older adults' ability to access virtual care. Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) released the draft urging stronger legislative action.Telehealth services proved to be a "game-changer" during the pandemic, Wyden said in a news release. (Berryman, 5/26)
Fierce Healthcare:
Senate Finance Committee Details Telehealth 'Bill Of Rights' For Mental Health Care Services
The Senate Finance Committee released a discussion draft Thursday outlining the legislative priorities for telehealth services to address mental health. The discussion draft is expected to be part of a larger package the committee is working on to address mental health reforms. “The pandemic made clear that telehealth is a game-changer, particularly so Americans can get mental health care when they need it,” Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, the committee chair, said. “These policies will help strengthen access, awareness and support for telehealth, including by creating a ‘bill of rights’ for information on the availability of telehealth for mental health care.” (King, 5/26)
Roll Call:
With July Approaching, Mental Health Bill Seems Far Off
Lawmakers are facing increased pressure to pass a comprehensive mental health and substance use package but are unlikely to make an initial goal of advancing legislation before the implementation of a three-digit suicide hotline in July. At least four congressional committees have committed to advancing a swath of bipartisan mental health bills under their jurisdiction, but lawmakers have not yet unlocked the puzzle of how to incorporate a growing laundry list of programs to authorize and establish existing and new programs dedicated to treatment, prevention, education, crisis care, drug interdiction and the workforce. (Raman, 5/26)
In news from the Health and Human Services Department —
Modern Healthcare:
HHS Scraps Trump-Era SUNSET Rule That Mandated Regulatory Reviews
The Health and Human Services Department has withdrawn a policy initiated under President Donald Trump that would have required extensive reviews of its regulations. Under the SUNSET rule, nearly all HHS regulations would be scrutinized for economic impact and other factors after 10 years, and automatically eliminated if they were not reviewed within that time frame. President Joe Biden's administration formally canceled this policy in a rule issued Thursday. The SUNSET rule would have substantially altered HHS operations and had negative consequences for people affected by departmental regulations, HHS announced in a Federal Register notice. (Goldman, 5/26)
