A permanent Medicare telehealth expansion is an easy bipartisan victory

Telemedicine has increased patient access to quality care and helped millions receive efficient, cost-effective medical support, especially for elderly and rural populations. But its widened coverage under Medicare is now in jeopardy. Congress must act to preserve this critical lifeline.

Before the pandemic, telemedicine reimbursement under Medicare was largely limited to those who lived in rural areas. Even then, technology limitations and bureaucratic red tape prohibited patients from making these visits from the comfort of their own homes; they had to travel to Medicare-approved health clinics to conduct virtual sessions to receive care.

Expanded coverage began in 2020, when COVID-19 prevented many Americans from being able to see their physicians in the office. Since then, telehealth has become a widely popular alternative to physical visits for patients and doctors and has proven to be a capable method of addressing non-emergency medical needs.

Last year, a Yale School of Medicine study found telehealth to be equally effective as in-person doctor sessions. For those in palliative care, the study concluded telehealth “quality-of-life” scores were similar to those who traveled to a doctor’s office.

Telehealth saves patients time and money. A 2023 study of cancer patients determined that virtual doctor visits saved them an average of 2.9 hours and as much as $186 per visit by eliminating travel expenses and lost income from taking time off of work.

The U.S Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services concluded in 2018 that telehealth saved patients $60 million in travel costs alone. That was two years before Congress authorized coverage expansion. Imagine what this number is today.

Telehealth is cheaper in the healthcare system. Penn Medicine discovered that telemedicine employee visits were “significantly less expensive to deliver” — 23 percent less to be exact — compared to in-person consultations.

Insurance giant Cigna found that non-urgent telehealth visits cost $93 less on average than in-person ones, and virtual specialist visits saved as much as $141 per visit by eliminating unnecessary emergency room visits.

“For many of our customers,” a Cigna representative explained, “virtual care continues to be the best way to meet their needs in a cost-effective manner.”

The facts show ER visits have indeed declined as a result of expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth. Virtual visits have avoided placing additional burdens on these facilities, freeing up precious ER resources to address urgent life-and-death matters.

Telehealth is also better for the environment. UC Davis Health researchers projected five of the University of California’s health systems eliminated nearly 54 million travel miles that would have been added to the nation’s carbon footprint thanks to telehealth availability during the first two years of the pandemic.

And telemedicine doesn’t limit patient access to physicians within their own geographic proximity. That’s important when someone must seek advice from specialty medical professionals who may practice a great distance from where the patient lives.

Expanded Medicare reimbursement of telehealth services has been consistently renewed by Congress since 2020. At the end of 2024, with no plan in place, Republicans agreed to a continuing resolution to keep the government open, which included a provision to keep telehealth coverage in place for the next two years.

President Trump and Elon Musk publicly opposed the continuing resolution, and GOP support for the bill quickly died. But a last-minute act by Congress gave telehealth coverage life by extending the deadline to March.

Now the clock is ticking.

Telehealth benefits everyone. Advancements in software, high-speed internet and remote connectivity technology have made it easier for physicians to reach patients and provide important medical attention. It saves money and opens access to quality care for all.

The federal government has a role to play in making sure patients continue to benefit from virtual medicine. There’s no better model of efficiency — the very platform of the Trump administration — than telehealth, which has proven to be a cost-effective solution.

Expanded coverage for telehealth has transformed the way patients across America receive medical support. If it goes away, millions of Americans stand to lose. Congress can put an end to any doubt in the minds of an anxious nation by making it permanent.

Lyndon Haviland, DrPH, MPH, is a distinguished scholar at the CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy.

Topics

Xavi Simons joins Leipzig in permanent €50m deal

Netherlands forward Xavi Simons is expected to complete a permanent move to RB Leipzig, a source has confirmed to ESPN.
ESPN - 8h
Kennedy confuses Medicare, Medicaid in contentious confirmation hearing

In a confirmation hearing for his nomination to head the $1.7 trillion Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confused two of the massive healthcare programs he would be ...
MarketWatch - 1d
Heathrow expansion can support growth — with a long runway

A shovel is yet to hit the ground despite efforts to expand the hub dating back decades — and the barriers remain huge
Financial Times - 1d
Bipartisan senators demand Trump explanation for IG firings

The leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a rare bipartisan letter to President Trump demanding an explanation for his firing of 17 inspectors general (IG) in one night. The rebuke said ...
The Hill - 2d
6 Easy Ways to Cultivate Emotional Intelligence as a Leader

Research shows that emotionally intelligent bosses make for happier, more creative employees.
Inc. - 2d
Heathrow expansion plan faces sky high challenges

Scale and cost of construction could pose bigger barrier than political opposition
Financial Times - 2d
'No easy routes' to growth, Reeves tells Labour MPs

It comes after the chancellor hinted the government would back a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
BBC News - 3d
Polling reveals Americans' widespread, bipartisan support for Israel

Solid majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents remain committed to supporting Israel and want the United States to continue supporting the Jewish State.
The Hill - 3d
Rwanda’s troublemaking in DRC would be easy to stop

Western countries let the African nation get away with fomenting conflict in its neighbour
Financial Times - 4d
Me and girls were easy prey, says survivor

Dance class leader Leanne Lucas, who survived the Southport attack, gives her victim impact statement.
BBC News - Jan. 23
German frontrunner vows permanent border controls after knife attack

Friedrich Merz says he will close Germany's borders to irregular migrants, including those with a right to protection.
BBC News - Jan. 23
RFK Jr. faces mounting bipartisan criticism

Pressure is mounting on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as critics squeeze senators from both sides of the aisle to oppose President Trump’s pick to be the nation’s top health official. Kennedy’s bipartisan ...
The Hill - Jan. 23
Masimo Taps Katie Szyman as Permanent CEO

Szyman currently serves as the worldwide president of Advanced Patient Monitoring at Becton Dickinson and Co.
The Wall Street Journal - Jan. 21
Is bipartisan reform of the clemency process likely?

Sen. Chris Coons suggested that there might be common ground with Congress and the attorney general to institutionalize reforms to the clemency process.
The Hill - Jan. 21
UK ministers poised to approve expansion of Gatwick airport

Government could also give the go-ahead to development of Luton to allow more passengers
Financial Times - Jan. 21
Liberalism’s quiet victories

Against religion, against de-growth, against a pandemic, modernity endures
Financial Times - Jan. 18
Ozempic picked for Medicare price bargaining

Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story Biden adds Ozempic to list for Medicare price negotiation In one of its last actions, the Biden administration ...
The Hill - Jan. 17
The next 15 drugs chosen for Medicare negotiation

The Biden administration has announced the next 15 drugs chosen for Medicare negotiation, marking one of its final acts before the inauguration of President-elect Trump. The Centers for Medicare ...
The Hill - Jan. 17
Ozempic, Wegovy on list for Medicare drug price negotiations

The hugely popular medications Ozempic and Wegovy, used for diabetes and weight loss, will be included in the next round of talks to negotiate lower Medicare drug prices.
CBS News - Jan. 17
CMS to seek Medicare negotiations on Ozempic price

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has included Ozempic among the next 15 drugs chosen for Medicare negotiation. CMS listed Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy — all forms of semaglutide ...
The Hill - Jan. 17
Medicare to Negotiate Lower Prices for Weight-Loss Drugs

The government is expected to pay lower prices for Ozempic and Wegovy starting in 2027. The Trump administration will decide whether to expand coverage for millions of Americans.
The New York Times - Jan. 17
Why Getting Greenland's Mineral Riches Won't Be Easy

The harsh climate, hazardous shipping, limited infrastructure and tiny local workforce have for years left a promised gold rush frozen in its tracks.
The Wall Street Journal - Jan. 16
Cutting aeroplane contrails is an easy climate win

Tackling these emissions should be simple, fast and cost-effective
Financial Times - Jan. 13
'Huge' AI expansion and 'A&E trolley hell'

The government ramping up AI use in the public sector and NHS bed shortages lead Monday's papers.
BBC News - Jan. 13
Syrians hope for a future without Russia, but it may not be easy

With the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Russia lost a key ally in the Middle East -but it still hopes to keeps its military bases in Syria.
BBC News - Jan. 13
Trump's talk of expansion puts world leaders on alert

President-elect Trump’s talk of territorial expansion has rattled world leaders at an already precarious time in global politics. Trump doubled down last week on his suggestions that the U.S. buy ...
The Hill - Jan. 12
Easy Come, Easy Go: Parkes Elvis Festival 2025 – in pictures

The 32nd year of the festival is themed around Presley’s 1967 film ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’ and marks what would have been his 90th birthday. The festival is the largest celebration of the king of rock ...
The Guardian - Jan. 11
Warren: Trump expansion talk a distraction from nominees

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) argued President-elect Trump’s continued talk about expanding the United States is a distraction from the Cabinet picks and nominees he’s chosen to staff his second ...
The Hill - Jan. 9
Bipartisan lawmakers come together to honor Jimmy Carter with wreath laying

Senate leaders Chuck Schumer and John Thune delivered the first wreath to the casket of former President Jimmy Carter in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday. House leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Mike ...
CBS News - Jan. 7
Panama Canal’s Expansion Opened Routes for Fish to Relocate

A multibillion-dollar expansion helped the canal accommodate king-size cargo ships. It might also be fueling ecological upheaval.
The New York Times - Jan. 7
Biden signs bipartisan outdoor recreation bill into law

President Biden on Monday signed a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting outdoor recreation weeks after it cleared the Senate. The bill, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act, ...
The Hill - Jan. 6
For Democrats, strategic and bipartisan cooperation is necessary

Recognizing that there are areas where compromise can — and should — be reached while also understanding that Democrats should protect certain core principles is a good first step.
The Hill - Jan. 6
What’s going to happen with Social Security and Medicare in 2025?

What retirees should know about these important benefits heading into the new year.
MarketWatch - Jan. 4
Bipartisan lawmakers renew push for legislation supporting Georgia against Russian interference

Republican and Democratic lawmakers are renewing efforts to pass legislation supporting Georgia, touting it as one of the best and first examples of bipartisan unity of the new Congress. Reps. Joe ...
The Hill - Jan. 3
US health care reform: Why there are no easy fixes

While attention has been focused on the manner in which insurance companies handle claims, the broader issue is how the U.S. health system should be improved to serve the public interest.
The Hill - Jan. 3
New year, new playbook: No more bipartisan favors for the GOP

Hakeem Jeffries is not the leader Democrats are looking for.
The Hill - Jan. 3
Biden Expected to Permanently Ban Oil Drilling in Some Federal Waters

The move, expected as early as Monday, relies on a 70-year-old law that could make it difficult for the Trump administration to reverse it.
The New York Times - Jan. 2
Sanders gets Finance perch to push Social Security, Medicare expansion, tax reform

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who supports expanding Social Security and Medicare and raising taxes on the wealthy, will get a seat on the Senate’s powerful Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction ...
The Hill - Jan. 2

More in Politics

Trump sparks outcry with implication that DEI policies are at fault in D.C. midair collision

In his first news conference since the aircraft collision over the Potomac River, President Donald Trump on Thursday implied that diversity, equity and inclusion programs could be the cause, ...
NBC News - 20m
Trump sparks outcry with implication that DEI policies are at fault in D.C. midair collision

In his first news conference since the aircraft collision over the Potomac River, President Donald Trump on Thursday implied that diversity, equity and inclusion programs could be the cause, ...
NBC News - 20m
Big Tech brushes off DeepSeek

Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter {beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Big Tech unfazed by DeepSeek's rise Leaders of major U.S. tech companies at the forefront of artificial ...
The Hill - 27m
What the House GOP retreat revealed about Trump, Johnson, and the fragile majority

Speaking to the three top House Republican leaders over the past three days at the House GOP retreat here in Doral, Fla., revealed how President Trump is both the glue holding the fragile majority ...
The Hill - 30m
Trump digs in on tariffs

Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Trump warns Canada, Mexico of looming tariffs President Trump said Thursday that he ...
The Hill - 40m