ATA ACTION MEMBERS ADVANCING TELEHEALTH IN CALIFORNIA DURING STATE FLY-IN DAY, PLAYING KEY ROLE IN ADVANCING INNOVATION IN CARE DELIVERY

SACRAMENTO, CA, and WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 10, 2026 — Today, ATA Action, the affiliated policy and legislative advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association, is meeting with over a dozen legislative offices and key committee leaders during its first Sacramento Fly-in Day, to further expand virtual care as a vital part of California’s healthcare system. Collectively, ATA Action members treat millions of California patients each year, expanding access to needed virtual care services, including primary care, behavioral health care, and reproductive health care.

“The California Department of Health Care Services’ most recent Biennial Telehealth Utilization Report makes clear that telehealth is no longer a convenience, it’s a cornerstone of care for Medi-Cal patients. With telehealth accounting for nearly 10% of all medical outpatient services, we’re seeing sustained, repeat utilization that speaks to real patient need,” said Hunter Young, ATA Action’s head of state government relations. “Nowhere is this more evident than in Federally Qualified Health Centers, where telehealth now powers more than 20% of primary care visits and over half of all behavioral health visits.”

ATA Action’s Top Policy Priorities in California

• Expanded Access to Telehealth Care including policy initiatives such as expanded cross-state licensure options for out-of-state telehealth providers and updates to Medicaid enrollment policies are essential in order to expand patients’ ability to access the care they need, when and where they need it.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare requires policy development to ensure a balanced framework for the safe, ethical, and scalable deployment of AI in that strengthens, not disrupt, patient trust, clinical quality, and responsible advancement of care.
• Health Data Privacy aiming to protect all consumer health data should be consistent with the same protections as the federal Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and/or robust federal requirements.

“ATA Action recognizes Governor Gavin Newsom and leaders of both parties in the California Legislature for their strong and sustained support of telehealth and virtual care policies that are expanding access to care across the state,” said Kyle Zebley, CEO of the American Telemedicine Association and Executive Director of ATA Action. “Their leadership has helped position California as a national leader in modernizing care delivery through technology. At the same time, there is more work ahead, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate in a bipartisan manner with state leaders to further strengthen California’s telehealth framework and ensure patients across the state can access safe, affordable, and convenient care.”

“Telehealth has earned strong bipartisan support at the federal level and across all 50 states, and that momentum reflects a shared understanding of what patients need,” Young added. “Our ATA Action members bring a frontline clinical perspective to these conversations that is essential, because when patients lack access to safe, affordable, and convenient care, that is a policy failure. State leaders have both the responsibility and the tools to close serious gaps in care delivery, and we are committed to working alongside California legislators to ensure every patient can access safe, affordable and convenient care that is right for them.”

About ATA Action

Founded in 2022, ATA Action is the leading advocacy organization dedicated to advancing policy and accelerating the adoption of technology-enabled healthcare. Working collaboratively with federal and state legislators and policymakers, ATA Action drives industry momentum by influencing legislative and regulatory developments in telehealth, virtual care, remote patient monitoring, artificial intelligence in health, health data privacy, private sector healthcare investment, and more. Representing a diverse membership – including hospital systems, technology companies, professional associations, direct-to-consumer digital health providers, payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, digital therapeutics developers, and remote monitoring organizations – ATA Action facilitates member-led coalitions focused on initiatives such as Advancing Digital Health and Prescription Drug Use-Related Software (PDURS), Virtual Foodcare, and Cross State Care.

ATA Action is a registered 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade organization engaged in lobbying efforts to shape industry-related legislation and serves as an affiliated trade association of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA). The ATA, a 501(c)(3) entity, is recognized for its leadership in advancing innovation and leading transformation in virtual care, digital health, hybrid care, artificial intelligence, and next generation connected care.