WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand telehealth coverage through Medicare.
The CONNECT for Health Act would make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, allowing health centers and rural health clinics to continue to provide telehealth services. The flexibilities are set to end in September if Congress doesn’t extend them.
“Telehealth has become an indispensable resource for countless Alabama communities, and I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation that expands access to telehealth services, ” Britt said in a statement. “The CONNECT for Health Act cuts red tape for patients and supports the ability of our healthcare workers and medical providers to reach and treat more hardworking families.”
The legislation also expands the eligibility of health care workers who can use telehealth and removes in-person visit requirements for telehealth services. The bill calls for a report that highlights how telehealth services help people across populations and how the services can be improved.
“Telehealth services should reflect the cutting-edge technologies being developed in America today,” Tuberville said in a statement. “Many Alabamians rely on these services, and it is important Congress works to enable access to quality care for EVERY American, no matter their zip code—this legislation would make sure that is true.”
A bipartisan group of more than 60 senators are supporting the bill in the 119th Congress. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI, is sponsoring the legislation. Britt and Tuberville also co-sponsored the bill in the 118th Congress.
The bill would also waive coverage restrictions during any public health emergency like COVID-19.
More than 43% of Alabama’s roughly 4.9 million residents live in rural areas and 13% of rural counties do not have behavioral health care providers. The Alabama Department of Mental Health received a grant in 2024 to expand telehealth services for mental health treatment in rural areas in the state. Britt’s office said the CONNECT for Health Act would make it easier for patients to receive telehealth for mental health services.