ATA ACTION READY TO WORK WITH NEW CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO ADVANCE VIRTUAL CARE PRIORITIES

Washington, DC, November 4, 2026 – ATA Action: Advocacy Shaping Virtual Care, the advocacy-focused affiliate of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), today shared its early read on what this week’s election results mean for telehealth and virtual care. Based on current projections, Democrats will control both chambers of Congress when the new Congress convenes in January.

“The election presents an opportunity to build on strong bipartisan support for telehealth at the federal and state levels and ensure virtual care becomes a permanent part of healthcare delivery,” said Kyle Zebley, CEO of the ATA and Executive Director of ATA Action. “Democrats and Republicans alike have long championed virtual care and its role in expanding access to high-quality healthcare nationwide. We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and the longstanding commitment of policymakers from both parties. We look forward to working with the administration, the new Congress, governors and state policymakers to advance our shared priorities.”

ATA Action’s priorities for virtual care remain unchanged:

• Advancing virtual care wherever and whenever possible, as the ATA and ATA Action are committed to expanding access to high-quality, technology-enabled care across all settings, modalities and populations, and ensuring virtual care is fully integrated into healthcare delivery.
• Medicare telehealth permanence, so patients and providers have the certainty they need and uninterrupted access to important healthcare services.
• DEA special registration, to permanently allow providers to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth and support safe, sustainable, and appropriate access to urgently needed care.
• Advancing digital health innovation and access, including protecting and expanding access to remote monitoring, digital therapeutics, AI-enabled virtual care and other technology-enabled healthcare services through sustainable coverage, payment and regulatory policies that support innovation and patient choice.
• Advancing state virtual care priorities, to protect and expand telehealth coverage and reimbursement, remove unnecessary barriers to cross-state care and provider licensure, preserve flexible, modality-neutral care delivery, oppose restrictive in-person and geographic requirements, and shape state policies on remote prescribing, AI-enabled healthcare, health data privacy and private-sector investment in healthcare innovation.

“ATA Action looks forward to engaging newly elected members of Congress, governors, state legislators and policymakers across the country, while continuing our close work with the Trump administration,” added Zebley. “Telehealth has earned broad bipartisan support because it works for patients, clinicians and the health system. Regardless of election outcomes, our mission remains unchanged. We will continue working with elected officials and policymakers of both parties, at every level of government, to make virtual care more accessible, sustainable and fully integrated into healthcare delivery. From Medicare telehealth permanence and DEA special registration to digital health innovation and removing barriers to virtual care in the states, there is important work ahead. Patients are counting on us, and we are ready to continue this work.”

About the ATA

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA), the definitive voice for virtual care, is the industry’s trusted community focused on expanding access to healthcare through innovation by advancing education, resources, and policy. Founded in 1993, the ATA represents the most diverse ecosystem in healthcare – including leading health systems, academic medical centers, payers, technology innovators, life sciences companies, and clinician leaders – the ATA delivers clinical standards, policy leadership, education, and evidence frameworks that accelerate high-quality, technology-enabled care.

About ATA Action

ATA Action: Advocacy Shaping Virtual Care expands and protects how virtual care is legislated and regulated at all levels of government. Founded in 2022, ATA Action works collaboratively with federal and state legislators and policymakers to influence legislative and regulatory developments in virtual care, digital health, remote patient monitoring, AI in healthcare, health data privacy, private sector healthcare investment, and more. ATA Action represents hospital systems, technology companies, professional associations, direct-to-consumer digital health providers, payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, digital therapeutics developers, and remote monitoring organizations, and facilitates member-led coalitions focused on initiatives to advance AI in Virtual Care Policy 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, a 501(c)(3) entity recognized for its leadership in advancing innovation and leading transformation in virtual care.