Supporting the designation of the week of September 15, 2024, through September 21, 2024, as "Telehealth Awareness Week".

Bill: 118-hres-1428
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
Introduced: 2024-09-09
Policy area: Health
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-09
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-09-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution supports the designation of Telehealth Awareness Week.</p>

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1428 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 9, 2024 Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself, Ms. Matsui , Mr. Curtis , Ms. Sewell , Mr. Thompson of California , and Ms. Blunt Rochester ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Supporting the designation of the week of September 15, 2024, through September 21, 2024, as Telehealth Awareness Week .

Whereas telehealth allows health care practitioners to provide services to patients or other practitioners in different physical locations; Whereas telehealth significantly supported access to quality health care for millions during the COVID–19 public health emergency and remains essential postemergency; Whereas, in 2023, nearly 7,000,000 unique Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries received at least 1 telehealth service, with one-quarter of Medicare FFS beneficiaries utilizing telehealth; Whereas the number of Medicare FFS telehealth users in 2023 is 24 percent higher than in 2019, prepandemic; Whereas the percentage of Medicare FFS beneficiaries using telehealth has remained relatively stable in 2023; Whereas increased access to telehealth during the COVID–19 pandemic has positively shifted patients’ perceptions, with study findings indicating greater openness to using telehealth services; Whereas telehealth now represents a critical component of health care delivery, balancing in-person and virtual care, following its unprecedented use during the public health emergency; Whereas legislative efforts to increase telehealth access have garnered broad bicameral bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives; Whereas data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey indicate that individuals with disabilities are more likely to use audio-only services, with the highest usage among Medicare beneficiaries with multiple disabilities (41.8 percent); Whereas the United States has the opportunity to improve broader access to health services for all individuals, including members of rural and underserved communities; and Whereas Telehealth Awareness Week , September 15, 2024, through September 21, 2024, 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

That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the designation of Telehealth Awareness Week ; (2) recognizes the impact of telehealth in delivering health care services to patients across the United States; and (3) urges that steps be taken— (A) to raise awareness about the benefits of expanding telehealth; (B) to highlight resources for health care providers and patients regarding telehealth; (C) to collect and analyze data on the impacts of telehealth; and (D) to promote continued access to telehealth for all communities and across settings permanently.