Congressional Task Force Examines the Benefits of Telebehavioral Health

The House Ways & Means Committee’s Rural and Underserved Communities Health Task Force held its first roundtable discussion titled “Examining the Role of Telehealth During COVID-19 and Beyond.” 

The following individuals participated as panelists: 

• Tearsanee Carlisle Davis, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP: Director of Clinical and Advanced Practice Operations, University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Center for Telehealth; Assistant Professor, UMMC School of Nursing.
• Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH: Associate Professor of Health Care Policy, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School; Associate Professor of Medicine and Hospitalist, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
• Keris Myrick, MBA: Chief of Peer and Allied Health Professions, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
• Jason Tibbels, MD: Chief Quality Officer, Teladoc Health; President, The Institute of Patient Safety and Quality of Virtual Care.

In her opening statement, Rural and Underserved Communities Health Task Force Co-Chair Terri Sewell (D-AL-7) stated that the task force’s policy areas of focus will be:

1. addressing social determinants of health;
2. enacting payment system reforms;
3. strengthening technology and infrastructure; and
4. reinforcing the U.S. health workforce. 

Please find below a summary of the relevant discussions: 

Telehealth Waivers

All panelists agreed that certain telehealth flexibilities which have been granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency should be made permanent in order to continue expanding telehealth services in the U.S. Panelist Tearsanee Davis stated the “loosened [telehealth] restrictions for sites of service and enhanced reimbursement structure” have significantly improved patient experience and should be made permanent even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Panelist Jason Tibbels added that patient geographic restrictions and originating site restrictions should be permanently removed in order to modernize telehealth in the Medicare program. 

Telehealth Payment Methods

Several Republican members on the task force discussed how telehealth services should be paid for while minimizing telehealth overuse. Co-chair Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-2) discussed various types of value-based alternative payment models and how these models could be incorporated for telehealth services. Panelist Ateev Mehrotra noted that the overall costs for furnishing telehealth services would be lower in the long-term and therefore should have a lower Medicare reimbursement rate or should be subject to alternative payment methods. Dr. Tibbels also noted that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) already has “extensive program integrity policies and procedures in place to fight fraud, waste, and abuse.”

Mental Health Services

Several panelists and task force members emphasized how telehealth could improve access to mental health services. Panelist Keris Myrick noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the negative mental health outcomes for patients who already suffered from depression or isolation before mandatory quarantine efforts began. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA-5) discussed how one mental health provider in his district increased their average telehealth visits from 300 a month to 3,000 a month. 

Broadband Expansion

In her opening statement, Co-Chair Sewell noted that an investment in technology infrastructure would be necessary in order to continue expanding telehealth access. Dr. Tibbels stated that Congress should invest in creating a “broader penetration of smartphone use and data plans among underserved populations” in order to maximize the benefits of telehealth expansion.

The Task Force did not indicate when it would meet next. We will continue to monitor and update.