In order to give ATA members the opportunity to weigh in on critical legislative issues in a timely fashion, ATA periodically sends out Action Alerts. These both keep ATA members up to date on the latest developments on Capitol Hill, but also help influence legislation by empowering ATA members to become grassroots advocates.

• H.R.6331 - Update (26 June 2008) - Within the next 48 hours, the U.S. Senate is planning to vote on H.R. 6331, a Medicare package that expands reimbursement for telemedicine by making skilled nursing facilities, hospital-based dialysis centers and community mental health centers originating sites for Medicare telehealth reimbursement. This legislation also blocks the scheduled cut in Medicare physician fees and contains a number of other provisions. Because the White House has threatened to veto the legislation, it is important that the bill pass by as wide a margin as possible. This is a critical vote for telemedicine
• H.R. 6331 - To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act (20 June 2008) - Legislation adding skilled nursing facilities, hospital-based dialysis centers, and community mental health centers as originating sites for the Medicare telehealth program will be voted on early next week—most likely on June 24—in the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 6331 is a large Medicare bill that contains many provisions including adding the new telehealth originating sites. Adding these sites has been a major advocacy initiative of ATA for many months. The bill would also reverse the upcoming cut in Medicare physician fees.
• H.R. 6163 - The Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act (29 May 2008) - As a result of ATA advocacy on Capitol Hill, H.R. 6163, the Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act, was just introduced in the House of Representatives. This legislation would expand telemedicine in many important ways. If passed, H.R. 6163 would: 1) Expand Medicare reimbursement for telemedicine into urban areas; 2) Authorize a study on store-and-forward telemedicine; 3) Expand originating sites for Medicare to include SNFs, dialysis centers and community mental health centers; 4) Add PTs, OTs, and SLPs as telehealth providers under Medicare; 5) Encourage the adoption of reciprocity agreements for licensure across state lines; 6) Provide for Medicare reimbursement for home telehealth and remote monitoring; 7) Authorize a new HRSA grant program to develop new telehealth networks, and; 8) Re-authorize the existing telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant program.
• S. 2812 - Medicare Telehealth Improvement Act (April 2008) - S. 2812 would expand the existing Medicare telehealth program in several important ways.  First, the bill would increase the list of eligible originating sites to include skilled nursing facilities, dialysis centers and community mental health centers. In addition to improving care in these facilities, there are significant cost savings achieved by avoiding transporting medically fragile patients.  Second, S. 2812 would expand the list of authorized providers in the Medicare telehealth program to include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists and diabetes educators. Finally, S. 2812 would improve the process of reviewing services to determine if they are appropriate for Medicare telehealth reimbursement by creating an advisory committee of practicing telehealth providers. Medicare would retain the final decision making authority, but they would have the benefit of the advice of actual telehealth providers.
• Help Expand Reimbursement for Telemental Health - Make CMHCs Originating Sites For Telemedicine in Medicare (3 November 2007) - ATA is working to expand Medicare reimbursement for telemedicine in Medicare to Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) as originating sites. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has proposed language to include CMHCs as originating sites for inclusion in the Senate Medicare package. This is another front in ATA’s ongoing efforts to expand Medicare reimbursement for telemedicine. For information about ATA’s two initiatives to include nursing homes as originating sites, go to www.americantelemed.org. Under current law, CMHCs are not originating sites for telehealth under Medicare.  CMHCs are safety net providers that serve 6 million low-income children and adults with mental disorders annually. ATA is working in partnership with the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare on this effort. Congress is working on a Medicare package that is expected to be voted on before they adjourn for the year. Sen. Stabenow is working to insert a provision in the package that would add CMHCs to the list of approved originating sites for telehealth under Medicare. Congress typically passes one omnibus Medicare per year bill rather than dealing with Medicare proposals separately.
• H.R. 4082 - Medicare SNF Payment Legislation (7 November 2007) - H.R. 4082, recently introduced in the House of Representatives and a proposal by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) in the Senate would extend Medicare telemedicine coverage to nursing homes. Under current law, nursing homes are not originating sites for telehealth under Medicare. Allowing nursing home patients to take advantage of telemedicine would reduce the expense and risk of transportation for many physician office visits and emergency department visits. Often this takes the form of expensive ambulance transportation.