Lawmakers showed bipartisan support for making pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities permanent in Medicare during a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday.
But witnesses noted Congress shouldn’t wait to address the temporary accommodations — some of which expire at the end of next year — to ensure regulatory uncertainty doesn’t push providers away from virtual care altogether.
“If you’re investing in a health facility, you need to have the predictability to know that these services are going to be able to be continued well before the expiration date,” said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. “And if you are a patient with a provider and you have a health plan, you need to know that health plan is not going to be disrupted because Congress is a little late in extending the programs.”
