As your constituent, I am writing to urge your support for the bipartisan Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act (H.R. 4189/S. 2016) to make Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent. The Medicare telehealth flexibilities provided during the COVID-19 pandemic were a crucial lifeline for patients who could not travel to see a healthcare provider in-person, particularly older Americans, and individuals in underserved communities. Since 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid says Medicare beneficiaries’ telehealth utilization has stabilized at 15 percent having become an essential part of patient care. I urge you to support policies that allow patients to see a health care provider via telehealth when appropriate. With telehealth flexibilities set to expire at the end of 2024, please cosponsor the CONNECT Act (H.R. 4189/S. 2016) to permanently allow access to telehealth services under Medicare that are critical to protecting access to care and fully integrating telehealth into care delivery. Thank you for your ongoing work to support patient access to telehealth.

As your constituent, I urge you to support and cosponsor the bipartisan Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act (H.R. 4189/S. 2016). Telehealth is an essential part of health care, allowing patients with an internet connection to see a provider. With these telehealth flexibilities set to expire at the end of 2024, vulnerable patients living in rural communities or those with mobility issues could lose an important access point to their health care provider. The CONNECT Act removes geographic restrictions on where telehealth can be provided, eliminates the unnecessary in-person requirement for telemental services, and expands the types of eligible providers who can practice telehealth. Further, the CONNECT Act establishes guardrails to maintain the integrity of the Medicare program through data collection. Time is running out, so please cosponsor the CONNECT Act today. Millions of Medicare beneficiaries are counting on you.

As your constituent, I am writing to ask you to support policies that preserve access to essential telehealth services for Medicare enrollees. Please cosponsor the bipartisan Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act (H.R. 4189/S. 2016). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) temporarily removed barriers to the use of telehealth services, greatly expanding healthcare access for millions of Medicare enrollees across the country, but especially those living in medical deserts and those with mobility or transportation challenges. The CONNECT Act would permanently remove these barriers to telehealth while studying how telehealth is being used by patients and providers. It is crucial to preserve key telehealth benefits that older and disabled Americans rely on. Thank you for your work and consideration on this key issue.