AHA urges Congress to expand access to mental health telehealth services

Commenting yesterday on draft legislation to expand access to mental health services through telehealth, AHA told the Senate Finance Committee it supports allowing Medicare patients to receive audio-only telehealth services and telehealth services without a prior in-person visit, and expanding the types of providers who can deliver and bill for telehealth services. The association also urged Congress to make permanent certain telehealth flexibilities allowed during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
“The pandemic has shown that many patients can benefit from receiving care through telehealth. We appreciate provisions in this draft which would help expand access to mental health services via telehealth for patients,” AHA wrote.
Related News Articles
Headline
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services July 10 rescinded a policy that extended certain federal public benefits to immigrants lacking permanent legal…
Headline
Jon Ulven, Ph.D., behavioral health psychologist and chair of adult psychology at Sanford Health, details the fragile behavioral health landscape in rural…
Headline
Kevin McEwan, DNP, R.N., chief nursing officer at Madison Memorial Hospital, shares how Medicaid provides vital behavioral health and maternal and child care…
Headline
Boston Medical Center’s Jeff Schneider, M.D., associate chief medical officer, designated institutional official and chair of the Graduate Medical Education…
Blog
Even before the COVID pandemic, the mental health and wellness of our young people was failing. The pandemic exacerbated the crisis and made it difficult for…
Headline
A new AHA video highlights how Corewell Health is transforming youth behavioral health care access in rural Michigan through school-based clinics and…