ATA ACTION BRINGING TOP FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES TO CAPITOL HILL TO SUPPORT PERMANENT ACCESS TO VIRTUAL CARE AND DIGITAL HEALTH TOOLS

WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 11, 2026 — ATA Action, the affiliated policy and legislative advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association, met with 35 Congressional offices, House and Senate leadership offices, and key committee leaders during its 4^th annual Hill Day on June 10, to advance federal policies that support permanent access to telehealth and digital health tools and encourage innovation in technology-enabled care.

“ATA Action members are coming to Capitol Hill with a clear message: the time to act is now. In 2026, we’re advancing a comprehensive agenda — from making Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent and protecting controlled substance prescribing via telehealth, to establishing a reimbursement pathway for prescription digital therapeutics and enacting the Federal Virtual Foodcare Act. We are encouraged by the leadership of the Trump Administration and bipartisan champions in Congress, who share our commitment to modernizing care delivery, expanding access, and supporting responsible innovation. These are not emerging issues; they are urgent opportunities with real bipartisan momentum,” said Kyle Zebley, CEO of the ATA and Executive Director, ATA Action. “We look forward to deepening those partnerships and ensuring policymakers hear directly from the clinicians and innovators delivering care on the front lines. Healthcare should meet Americans where they are — and we won’t stop until it does.”

ATA Action’s top federal policy priorities for 2026:

• Make permanent Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home program
• Permanently allow providers to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth
• Enact policies that preserve and expand a responsible direct-to-patient model, including regulatory clarity, coverage parity, and cross-state licensing
• Pass the Federal Virtual Foodcare Act, legislation that would integrate evidence-based nutrition care into healthcare through telehealth and digital health platforms
• Support legislation to establish a benefit category for prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) under Medicare and Medicaid, and ensure that PDTs are regulated, reimbursed, and trusted on terms appropriate to their role in care
• Publish updated guidance for the FDA’s 2023 draft regulatory framework for the use of Prescription Drug Use Related Software (PDURS) to encourage innovative submissions that pair health technologies with clinically proven medicines

ATA Appoints New VP, Public Policy & Head of Federal Government Relations at ATA Action

Also this week, the ATA announced that Joe Nye has joined the organization as Vice President, Public Policy, and Head of Federal Government Relations at ATA Action. In these roles, Joe is responsible for developing and executing the federal public policy agenda for both organizations. He will help lead and shape strategic advocacy efforts and drive transformative change, build relationships with key stakeholders, and navigate the complex regulatory landscape of virtual care and digital health technologies.

“We are thrilled to welcome Joe Nye to the ATA and ATA Action. Joe brings exactly the kind of strategic experience and relationship-building acumen we need as we push forward on some of the most consequential virtual care and digital health policy battles in years. With a robust federal agenda ahead of us, having Joe leading our government relations efforts gives me great confidence that we will continue to be the most trusted and effective voice for virtual care on Capitol Hill.”

Joe has more than a decade of experience at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, where he worked across administrations of both parties on complex regulatory policy issues, including telemedicine, drug control and development, cybersecurity, agency guidance, and federal rulemaking. Most recently, he served at Hims & Hers, where he worked on digital health, AI in healthcare, telehealth, pharmacy, and broader regulatory and policy strategy.

About the ATA

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) is the catalyst for advancing innovation and the transformation of healthcare through virtual care, digital health, hybrid delivery, and AI-enabled care models. Representing the most diverse ecosystem in healthcare – including leading health systems, academic medical centers, payers, technology innovators, life sciences companies, and clinician leaders – the ATA advances clinical standards, policy leadership, education, and evidence frameworks that accelerate high-quality, technology-enabled care.

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 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.