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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 840 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>

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;
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
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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates the week of September 15 through September 
        21, 2024, as ``Telehealth Awareness Week'';
            (2) recognizes the impact of telehealth in delivering 
        health care services for patients across the United States; and
            (3) urges that steps should be taken to--
                    (A) raise awareness about the benefits of 
                telehealth;
                    (B) highlight resources for health care providers 
                and patients regarding telehealth;
                    (C) collect and analyze data on the impacts of 
                telehealth; and
                    (D) promote continued access to telehealth for all 
                communities and across settings.
                                 <all>
```