III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 840 

Supporting the designation of the week of September 15 through September 

21, 2024, as ‘‘Telehealth Awareness Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 

Mr. SCHATZ (for himself, Mr. WICKER, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. THUNE, Mr. WARNER, and Mrs. HYDE-SMITH) submitted the following resolution; which 

was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the designation of the week of September 15 

through September 21, 2024, as ‘‘Telehealth Awareness 

Week’’. 

Whereas telehealth allows a health care practitioner to furnish health care services to a patient or a practitioner at 

a different physical location than the health care practitioner; 

Whereas telehealth played a significant role in supporting access to quality health care services for millions of patients 

during the COVID–19 public health emergency and continues to be important beyond the end of the public 

health emergency; 


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2 

•SRES 840 ATS 

Whereas Medicare beneficiaries used 88 times more telehealth 

services during the first year of the COVID–19 pandemic 

than they did in the prior year; 

Whereas 25 percent of Medicare beneficiaries received at 

least 1 telehealth service in 2023; 

Whereas, in 2023, approximately 90 percent of Medicare 

beneficiaries who received a telehealth service were satisfied with their experience; 

Whereas, in 2023, telehealth was a routine health care modality with 13 percent of Medicare beneficiaries using 

telehealth in the last quarter of the calendar year; 

Whereas telehealth is a common care modality for Medicare 

beneficiaries to receive behavioral health services, with 

half of common psychotherapy services furnished under 

the original Medicare fee-for-service program delivered by 

telehealth in 2022; 

Whereas Federally qualified health centers and rural health 

clinics use telehealth to deliver services to rural and underserved populations; 

Whereas, following the unprecedented use of telehealth services in response to the COVID–19 public health emergency, telehealth now represents a critical component of 

health care delivery; 

Whereas legislative efforts to increase telehealth access have 

received bipartisan support in the Senate and the House 

of Representatives; 

Whereas the United States has an opportunity to help improve access to health services for all individuals, including members of rural and underserved communities; and 


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•SRES 840 ATS 

Whereas ‘‘Telehealth Awareness Week’’ unites the efforts of 

patients, caregivers, health care providers, policymakers, 

and other stakeholders to advance the role of telehealth 

in health care: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the week of September 15 

3 through September 21, 2024, as ‘‘Telehealth Aware4 ness Week’’; 

5 (2) recognizes the impact of telehealth in deliv6 ering health care services for patients across the 

7 United States; and 

8 (3) urges that steps should be taken to— 

9 (A) raise awareness about the benefits of 

10 telehealth; 

11 (B) highlight resources for health care pro12 viders and patients regarding telehealth; 

13 (C) collect and analyze data on the impacts 

14 of telehealth; and 

15 (D) promote continued access to telehealth 

16 for all communities and across settings. 

Æ 


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