Capitol Hill Report: Extending telehealth flexibilities
November 25, 2024
Issue in focus
As the end of the year rapidly approaches, the AAN is working hard to extend critical flexibilities associated with delivering care via telehealth. Both in the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule and through recently issued rulemaking from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), neurology received good news as several critical flexibilities were extended through 2025. Although there have been a number of positive developments, work still remains to be done to ensure access to care via telehealth is maintained in 2025.
In the fee schedule final rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), consistent with its current statutory authority, extended critical telehealth flexibilities including those associated with supervision of residents and auxiliary personnel and home address reporting for providers who deliver care via telehealth from their home.
In a significant win for AAN advocacy this month, the DEA extended public health emergency (PHE) era flexibilities associated with the prescribing of controlled substances via telehealth through the end of 2025. As the DEA worked to develop final post-PHE policy on this topic, the AAN grew concerned that there would not be adequate time to ensure that final DEA policy incorporated the perspective of relevant stakeholders, including the AAN. Additionally, the AAN grew concerned that the DEA was considering proposals that may have the practical effect of severely limiting access to care via telehealth. In response, the AAN worked with stakeholders from across health care to submit feedback to Congress and the White House urging policymakers to temporarily extend relevant flexibilities to give the DEA and other policymakers additional time to work with stakeholders to strike an appropriate balance.
Now, Congress needs to act to extend telehealth flexibilities past the end of this year. The House of Representatives has marked up legislation in the Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce Committees that would extend the flexibility for another two years, giving Congress the ability to align on a long-term solution. While congressional leadership indicated they will find a way to do this before the year’s end, they have not settled on which bill they will act on. The AAN recently sent a letter to congressional leadership urging them to take action on telehealth as soon as possible. AAN staff will continue to advocate for continued access to telehealth for patients with neurological conditions.
Latest advocacy news
AAN responds to $2 Drug List Model RFI
On November 15, the AAN submitted a response to a Request for Information (RFI) from CMS regarding the $2 Drug List Model. The RFI requests information on the factors involved in developing the list, outreach to providers and beneficiaries, assessment of the model, and future updates to the list.
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