In the previous Congress, we saw a burst of policy and industry attention to telehealth as lawmakers and stakeholders alike recognized the cost, quality, and accessibility benefits of telehealth. In the first few months of the 114th Congress, we have seen the momentum for policy to address telehealth continuing, if not increasing in pace.

Congressional Progress -

SGR and Telehealth: In April, Congress passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, also known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) repeal, which addressed several aspects of telehealth policy. The legislation included Merit Based Incentive payments, the use of telehealth for timely communication of test results, timely exchange of clinical information to patients and other providers, and use of remote monitoring or telehealth as a means of care coordination. It also directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study and report on the use of telehealth in federal programs and in remote patient monitoring services, including...