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News – A Healthcare Cliff loomed in Hundreds of Healthcare Organizations and urged Congress to Act!

Several healthcare organizations called upon Capital Hill to ease out the restrictions laid down on virtual care critical access hospitals.

Leading healthcare stake holders roped in senior leaders of the senate to look into the aspect of medicare beneficiaries in the healthcare segment. The concern has been that there needs to be considerable progess made on telehealth front before it’s too late. The time is ripe and if they don’t act before the end of COVID-19, the emergency centers will lose interest in virtual care options, which has been a blessing in disguise in these days.

The united groups requested Congress to waive off all the restrictions in virtual patient care allowing seamless access for telehealth services ensuring that all critical access hospitals, health centers, rural healthcare clinics and providers stick to the virtual consulting model and take benefits of telehealth services.

The flexibilities and support provided by the government in these days of pandemic is amazing and this needs to be scaled up to provide all Amaericans high quality virtual care. Several health care organizations have dramatically transformed and made significant progress in new age technology and health care delivery models which have shown great promise. These needs to be made permanent in order for America’s good.

This model is a boon for remote areas where healthcare is not easily accessible, and these flexibilities which were provided for limited duration should be made permanent in order to offer seamless services in case of emergency. While technology has upgraded itself to next level, it is there to stay for long. The benefits which America has reaped because of these temporary flexibilities has been worthwhile. It has allowed healthcare services to reach remote areas where it was not available. It should not be looked upon as solely a pandemic response but while we have enjoyed the benefits, it calls for a large scale transformation in nation’s health care system post-pandemic.

More than 15 million beneficiaries have taken benefits of virtual healthcare models and Congress has an opportunity to transform the entire U.S healthcare system. It is not an opportunity but a responsibility of Congress to pay attention to public health emergency and make sure telehealth is regulated as any other form of health care solution.

A few requests which have been laid down are as under:

a.) Restrictions to be removed on the location of the patient under section 1834(m) as this will give an opportunity for remote patients to get medication from urban healthcare professionals.

b.) Enhance HHS Authority to provide right providers and modalities for telehealth services.

c.) Make sure all qualified health centers and rural health clinics can make optimum use of telehealth services.

d.) Remove restrictions on beneficiary access for telehealth services.

There has been good evidence of patients being treated with virtual healthcare in these trying times of COVID-19 and there is greater good in improving healthcare quality for American Society.