Advocating for Telehealth Bills in Your State

Telehealth has become our new way of life. I don't know about you, but I've gotten quite used to it (not that I'm going to do it forever, but I'd like the option to offer clients!).

Many payers have covered telehealth long before the pandemic (Cigna, United, Magellan to name a few) but it's uncertain times with each state doing its own thing with executive orders mandating telehealth coverage for fully funded plans and most payers going by the state's executive orders.

I know you're probably asking the same question I am almost weekly--will telehealth coverage last beyond the pandemic???

Many states (35ish? 40 now?) have passed telehealth coverage AND parity (paying the same for in-office sessions) bills.

In IL, our telehealth bill passed the House and the Senate: HB3308. We are waiting for our governor to sign the bill into law. Luckily, in IL, if the governor does nothing with the bill in 60 days, it becomes a law (public act). 

Federally, there are also the Medicare bills HR432 and S.828 (amending the SSA and allowing LMFTs and Counselors to see Medicare recipients as part of Medicare Part B.)

How did this happen? Lots of contacting state representatives and advocating!

One of the questions I often get asked is: Where do I start and what do I say? (ok, that's two questions).

I decided to write this blog to help people out in states with no legislation/bills for telehealth. Google your state's bills and see if you have legislation passed in your state! If you cannot find the actual bill, let me know and I'll try to help you find one. Try searching yourself first though, I'm not familiar with how to find bills in everyyyy state!

Where do I start?

Contact your State Representative NOW!

Here's how:

Find your rep by Zip Code (heck, contact whoever comes up on this page!)

Here's another one by address.

What do I say?

I got you! I've always tried to write personal letters using talking points. If you have client experiences with telehealth you can share, that's even better (don't name names of course).

In case you need a bit more structure...

Here are some talking points created by the Kennedy Forum here in Illinois (tweak for your state!):

I urge you to vote Yes on House Bill XXX, bipartisan legislation to ensure that (your state) continue to have access to innovative telehealth services after the COVID-19 pandemic – this will reduce access barriers and improve patient outcomes.

• Early in the pandemic, the Governor lifted longstanding barriers to healthcare via telehealth for commercial health plans and Medicaid.
• In response, healthcare professionals and providers rapidly invested in new technology, adjusted clinical workflows, and educated staff, patients, and clinicians on telehealth delivery – resulting in dramatic increases in the use of telehealth services.
• To ensure that accessible, safe, and reliable telehealth that improves patient outcomes continues to be provided after the pandemic, we need the General Assembly to pass House Bill XXX for both coverage and payment parity with in-person services.
• Payment parity – reimbursing telehealth at the same rate as in-person care – is the key to removing existing barriers to patient access and provider adoption, paving the way for widespread implementation of telehealth.
• Telehealth use has driven a reduction of missed appointments, increased care plan adherence, and improved chronic disease management.
• Access barriers that exacerbate healthcare disparities such as transportation, geographic isolation from healthcare providers, lost income, missed work and school, or the stigma of seeking help is greatly reduced or eliminated when telehealth is used.
• Telehealth empowers patients to address care needs swiftly, preventing conditions from worsening and requiring unnecessary visits to urgent care or a hospital.
• Without action by the General Assembly, providers and professionals will not have the certainty they need to continue investing in and utilizing new care delivery tools – and XXX will abruptly lose access to the telehealth services they have relied on during the pandemic.
• House Bill XXX prohibits geographic or facility restrictions on telehealth services and allows patients to be treated via telehealth in their home.
• Patients will not be required to use a separate panel of providers or professionals to receive telehealth services, nor will they be required to prove a hardship or access barrier in order to receive telehealth services.
• This legislation further protects patient preference by establishing that a patient cannot be required to use telehealth services.

Please vote Yes on House Bill XXX to maintain patient access to quality healthcare.

Additional Tips When Contacting Legislators:

The APA recommends letters that are direct, informative, inquiring, factual, and courteous. Read more here: Helpful Tips from APA and the Coalition to Protect Telehealth in IL and O here as well.

Helpful Tips #1

More Helpful Tips #2

I hope that helps you advocate for telehealth coverage in your state (if you do not have it already)!

If you're interested in getting involved in advocacy work in your state or are already involved, I'd love to hear from you and what you are doing!