Federal Activity
Federal Legislative Tracker
This chart tracks critical Federal telehealth legislation and outlines ATA Action’s Federal priorities in the 117th Congress. ATA Action’s 2022 top federal legislative priorities document identifies specific bills that, if enacted, would ensure we avoid the telehealth cliff.
October 27, 2021
ATA Recommendations on Ensuring Appropriate Treatment and Protecting Patients Through Online Prescribing
ATA Recommmendations
This documents describes the history, current state of play, and problem with the Ryan Haight Act and outlines the ATA’s recommendations on ensuring appropriate treatment and protecting patients through online prescribing.
ATA Recommendations
This document describes the history and current state of play of interstate licensure and outlines the ATA’s recommendations on enabling healthcare delivery across state lines.
May 13, 2022
ATA Action and ATA Letter Urging the Administration to Extend the Public Health Emergency
ATA/ATA Action Letter to Administration
ATA Action and ATA sent a letter urging the Administration to extend the Public Health Emergency.
ATA Action and ATA Comments on RFI
ATA Action and the ATA responded to the Medicaid and CHIP request for information.
April 14, 2022
ATA Letter to on RPM/RTM in Response to Meeting with CMS
ATA Letter to CMS
The ATA met with CMS at the end of March for a second time to discuss RPM/RTM policy challenges.
RFI Comment Letter to OSTP
The ATA and ATA Action submitted comments on the Connected Health Request for Information to the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
ATA Action Comments to CMS
ATA Action comments on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Calendar Year 2023 Medicare Advantage proposed rule.
Stakeholder Letter to DEA
ATA Action, the American Telemedicine Association, the American Psychiatric Association and 69 other organizations sent a letter DEA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to permanently waive the requirement that patients receive an in-person evaluation prior to being prescribed controlled substances via telemedicine.
ATA Action Comments to House WnM
ATA Action sent comments to the House Ways and Means Committee in advance of the March 2nd hearing on Substance Use, Suicide Risk, and the American Health System.
February 18, 2022
Recent Stats on Patients, Providers, and Plans Utilization of Telehealth
Recent Telehealth Stats
ATA Action published a document of recent telehealth stats relating to patients, providers, and health plans.
ATA Action Comments on RFI
ATA Action responded to the Modernization Subcommittee Healthy Task Force request for information (RFI).
ATA Recommendations to CMS
The ATA sent recommendations into CMS on RPM and RTM for their consideration for calendar year 2023 Physician Fee Schedule.
February 2, 2022
ATA Action Telemental Health Recommendations in Response to Ways & Means Committee Hearing
ATA Action Letter to House Ways and Means Committee
In advance of the House Ways and Means mental hearing on February 2nd, ATA Action sent telehealth recommendations on addressing barriers to mental health to the committee for their consideration.
February 1, 2022
ATA Action Broadband Recommendations in Response to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
ATA ACTION LETTER TO Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
In advance of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies broadband hearing on February 1st, ATA Action sent recommendations on broadband expansion funding programs.
February 1, 2022
ATA Action Comments on Affordability Subcommittee of the Healthy Future Task Force RFI
ATA Actions Response to RFI
ATA Action submitted comments in response to the Affordability subcommittee of the Healthy Future Task Force request for information.
February 1, 2022
ATA Action Comments on National Telecommunications and Information Administration RFI
ATA Action Comments on NTIA RFI
ATA Action submitted comments in response to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) request for information (RFI) regarding the Broadband Programs in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
ATA Action Letter to Senate HELP Committee
In advance of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee mental health and substance use disorder hearing on February 1st, ATA Action sent telehealth recommendations on addressing barriers to mental health to the committee for their consideration.
Telehealth Stakeholder Letter
The ATA along with 335 organizations sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to authorize the continuation of all current telehealth waivers through the end of 2024, require HHS to complete all feasible evaluations related to telehealth by fall of 2023 and combine all findings into one overarching dashboard with recommendations, and take up permanent, evidence-based telehealth legislation for implementation in 2024.
January 27, 2022
ATA Action Comments on HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2023 Proposed Rule
ATA Action Comments to HHS
ATA Action submitted comments s in response to the proposed rule “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2023.”
ATA Comments to DEA
The ATA submitted comments on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s telepharmacy practice advanced notice of proposed rulemaking.
December 23, 2021
ATA Letter to Chairman Doggett on Telehealth Extension Act
ATA Letter to Chairman Doggett
The ATA sent a letter to Chairman Doggett that outlines the provisions within the Telehealth Extension Act (H.R. 6202) that the ATA strongly supports, as well as those that could be improved.
ATA Call to Actions
This ATA document outlines the challenges with vaccine trails and outlines different call to actions to HHS on the facilitation of multi-site, multi-state and decentralized clinical trails.
November 15, 2021
ATA's CY2022 Physician Fee Schedule Chart - Telehealth Policy Changes
ATA Chart
The ATA created a chart that compares the telehealth policies in the PFS proposed rule to the ATA’s industry leading comments to the telehealth policies included in the PFS final rule.
November 12, 2021
ATA Comments on Senate Finance Mental Health Request for Information
ATA Recommendations to Congress
The ATA responded to the Senate Finance Committee’s mental health request for information.
November 4, 2021
ATA's Comments on HHS Strategic Plan for 2022 -2026
ATA Letter to HHS
The ATA submitted comments to HHS on their draft strategic plan for 2022 and 2026 specifically on Goals 1 and 2.
November 1, 2021
Stakeholder Letter - Expanding Telehealth Options for Employees
Stakeholder Letter to Congressional Leaders
The ATA along with 48 organizations sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging the them to consider making permanent the current policies that allow telehealth and remote care services to be treated as an excepted benefit.
October 26, 2021
Stakeholder Letter - Extending Virtual Care Provisions for HDHP-HSAs
Stakeholder Letter
The ATA along with 69 other organizations sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to extend the virtual care provisions included in the CARES Act for individuals with HDHP-HSAs before the Dec. 31 expiration.
ATA Letter to HHS
The ATA sent a letter to Secretary Becerra urging the Administration to indicate the expected duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency and recommends the PHE and its flexibilities continue at least through the end of the calendar year 2022.
September 15, 2021
ATA, AOTA, APTA, and AHSA Tele-Rehabilitation Interprofessional Policy Principles and Priorities
Tele-Rehabilitation Policy Principles and Priorities
The ATA, AOTA, APTA, and the ASHA have created a document outlining their shared priorities that are multi-pronged and include legislative, regulatory, and state-based advocacy efforts. These organizations are working with policymakers to support legislation that will promote access to care, mitigate risks associated with COVID-19, and ensure sustainability of telehealth services beyond the pandemic.
September 1, 2021
ATA's Comments on the CY2022 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
ATA's 2022 PFS Comments
On September 1, 2021 the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) submitted detailed comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid on the CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. The ATA’s comments largely focus on a few key issues, including access to telemental health services, extension of Category 3 services, remote physiologic monitoring, remote therapeutic monitoring, and additional topics.
ATA Statement
The ATA urges Congress to make permanent the telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic by passing critical legislation outlined throughout this statement to ensure Medicare beneficiaries have continued access to all telehealth services, including ocular, after the Public Health Emergency (PHE).
Multi-Stakeholder Letter to Congress
The ATA along with 430 organizations sent a letter to Congress outlining our priorities for permanent telehealth reform post COVID-19.
June 14, 2021
ATA Overview on In-Person Requirements
ATA Overview of In-Person Requirments
This document provides an overview of clinically unnecessary in-person requirements, urging Congress to not consider them to ensure patients have adequate access to telehealth.
May 18, 2021
ATA Testimony for Senate Finance Committee Hearing on COVID-19 Healthcare Flexibilities
ATA Testimony
The ATA submitted testimony for the Senate Finance Committee hearing entitled COVID-19 Health Care Flexibilities: Perspective, Experiences, and Lessons Learned on May 19, 2021.
FY2022 PFS
The ATA sent a letter to Secretary Xavier Becerra and Acting Administrator Liz Richter commenting on Remote Physiological Monitoring (RPM) access in advance of the CY2022 Physician Fee Schedule.
April 27, 2021
ATA Written Testimony for House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Telehealth Hearing
Written Testimony
The ATA submitted a written testimony to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health for their hearing on Charting a Path Forward for Telehealth on April 28th.
April 8, 2021
Group Letter Signed by the ATA Urging CMS to Expand the Virtual Diabetes Prevention Program
The ATA and 16 other organizations signed a letter urging CMS to use its emergency authority to expand access to virtual diabetes prevention programs in the Medicare program.
March 23, 2021
Telehealth Safe Harbor on High Deductible Health Plans
ATA Informational Document
This document provides an overview of section 3701 of the CARES Act, which created a temporary safe harbor that allows HDHPs with a health savings account (HSA) to cover telehealth and remote care services. Further, the document outlines the importance of Congress permanently extending the HDHP & HSA telehealth safe harbor.
March 2, 2021
ATA Program Integrity Overview
ATA Program Integrity
The ATA sent an overview to Congressional staffers on program integrity which describes the advantages of telehealth, how “telefraud” is not telehealth, and the characteristics of legitimate telehealth providers.
February 4, 2021
ATA Letter to Congress on Ensuring Access to Quality Health Care in COVID-19 Relief Legislation
ATA Letter to Congress
The ATA sent a letter to Congress urging them to include permanent telehealth reforms and a number of targeted telehealth provisions in any subsequent COVID-19 relief legislation to ensure Americans do not lose access to care.
ATA Letter to MedPAC
The ATA sent a letter to MedPAC in response to our meeting in December 2020 to provide additional information to help inform MedPAC’s policy recommendations to Congress.
December 31, 2020
ATA Federal Legislative Tracker for the End of the 116th Congress
ATA Federal Tracker 116th Congress
This chart tracked critical Federal telehealth legislation and outlined ATA’s Federal priorities at the end of the 116th Congress.
December 22, 2020
ATA's Response to RFI on Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery
ATA Response to RFI Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery
The ATA responds to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Request for Information (RFI) on Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery.
December 22, 2020
ATA's Response to RFI on Leveraging Novel Technologies for Chronic Disease Management for Aging Underserved Populations
ATA Response to HHS RFI
The ATA responds to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Request for Information (RFI) on Leveraging Novel Technologies for Chronic Disease Management for Aging Underserved Populations.
December 22, 2020
ATA Letter to President-Elect Biden and the Transition Team
ATA Letter to President-Elect
The ATA wrote to President-Election Biden and his transition team to share the ATA’s core policy principles and to offer the ATA as a resource as they begin to consider telehealth policies.
Letter to Congress
The ATA helped to lead a letter urging leaders of Congress to include telehealth in the end of the year package and strongly support, in absence of permanent reform, an extension of the temporary telehealth flexibilities until the end of 2021.
ATA'S MCIT COMMENTS
In a November 2 letter American Telemedicine Association (ATA) CEO Ann Mond Johnson submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on how the agency can use its regulatory authority to expand access to and directly cover digital health technologies that are not traditionally covered by Medicare.
September 24, 2020
ATA's Comments on the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
ATA's 2021 PFS Comments
In a September 24 letter American Telemedicine Association (ATA) CEO Ann Mond Johnson submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the CY 2021 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule strongly supporting increased access to telehealth services in the Medicare program, including for underserved populations.
August 26, 2020
ATA Recommendations for Permanent Telehealth Policy
Permanency Chart
The ATA published a chart outlining the telehealth flexibilities during COVID-19 and the ATA’s recommendations for permanent telehealth policy.
August 5, 2020
Letter of Endorsement for HR 7663
Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2020
The ATA helped lead a letter thanking congressional House Telehealth Caucus members for their continued leadership. The letter, dated August 3, 2020, noted the broad telehealth industry support for recently introduced legislation, the Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2020 (HR 7663).
April 30, 2020
ATA Letter to Congress on Coronavirus IV Legislation
COVID-19 Supplemental Appropriation
ATA submitted recommendations to Congress on measures to facilitate the use of telehealth and expand the use of virtual care by health care providers during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
COVID-19: ATA Recommendations to HHS & CMS
As follow up to the ATA’s March 13 recommendations, the ATA provided HHS and CMS with recommendations on additional actions that would further support health care providers seeking to provide telehealth services in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
March 20, 2020
ATA Letter to Congress on Coranavirus III Package
H.R.748 - CARES Act
ATA submitted recommendations to Congress on measures to facilitate the use of telehealth and expand the use of virtual care by health care providers during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
ATA Recommendations to the Administration on the COVID-19 Response
ATA submitted recommendations to the Administration on actions that can immediately be taken to facilitate the use of telehealth and expand the use of virtual care by health care providers during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
H.R.6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act
ATA, along with a number of health care stakeholders, submitted a follow up letter urging Congress to address barriers that were built into the telehealth waiver provision of the Coronavirus Supplemental Appropriation that are preventing health care providers from fully leveraging and scaling critical telehealth services needed to combat COVID-19.
March 9, 2020
ATA Letter to HHS and CMS on HR 6074 & Waiver Authority for Medicare Part B Telehealth Services
COVID-19 Supplemental Appropriation
ATA CEO Ann Mond Johnson submitted a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services urging them to leverage the telehealth waiver authority provided under H.R.6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020. This waiver removes telehealth geographic site restrictions for Medicare beneficiaries, providing critical access to care for patients affected by COVID-19.
February 28, 2020
Telehealth Stakeholder Letter on COVID-19 Supplemental Appropriation
H.R.6074 - Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020
ATA, along with a number of health care stakeholders, submitted a letter urging Congress to expand access to telehealth services in the COVID-19 supplemental appropriation and provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with the authority to waive existing Medicare restrictions on telehealth visits during a public health emergency.
December 17, 2019
ATA Response to Cures 2.0 Call to Action
"Cures 2.0" Legislative Framework
The ATA shared feedback with leaders in Congress as work begins on a framework for a “Cures 2.0” legislative package that would build and expand on reforms included in the 21st Century Cures Act, passed in December 2016.
September 19, 2019
Stakeholder Letter to DEA on Ryan Haight Special Registration
H.R. 6353
ATA, along with a number of healthcare stakeholders, submitted a letter with comments on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) implementation of a Special Registration provision for telemedicine under the Ryan Haight Act.
Public Law 114-145
ATA commends the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation for seeking input on how to ensure legitimate access to controlled substances while also preventing diversion and abuse. This issue is very important to our members and we appreciate being able to provide feedback and recommendations.
April 1, 2019
ATA Response to CONNECT for Health Act RFI
Connect for Health Act
The ATA submitted recommendations to Congress for comprehensive telehealth reform and urged Congressional leaders to address barriers to telehealth in Medicare.
H.R. 6353
In response to the mandate from H.R. 6, the ATA convened a special member workgroup within its Telebehavioral Health Special Interest Group. The workgroup developed five recommendations for how a special registration process could be structured to enable the safe prescribing of certain controlled substances via telehealth.
October 23, 2018
RUSH Act
H.R. 6502
The ATA supports legislative efforts to expand access to telehealth services, which we believe will improve patient outcomes, patients and provider satisfaction, and lower costs to the healthcare system. The RUSH Act, introduced in the 115th Congress, represents one such effort by expanding access to emergency telehealth for Medicare patients in nursing homes with the goal of reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations.