ATA to Trump administration: Let’s talk telehealth

President Donald Trump has been a friend to telehealth in the past and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) hopes that will continue in his second administration.

ATA has published its letter to the new administration with policy priorities for the rules and regulations when doctors and patients meet online.

The president publicly has stated he has a number of policy objectives that he wants to move on quickly, so it will be a busy time in Washington, D.C. But telehealth cannot wait, said Kyle Zebley, ATA senior vice president for public policy, and executive director of the organization’s nonprofit ATA Action committee.

“The new Trump Administration is immediately on the clock, with the Medicare telehealth waivers expiring in just nine weeks,” Zebley said. “We look forward to President Trump’s continued leadership to ensure that telehealth remains available to millions of Americans who now rely on it for their care.”

ATA has praised Trump for the visionary decision to expand Medicare telehealth coverage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those changes have been extended, but are not in place permanently.

“In his second term, President Trump can cement his legacy as the president to modernize the American health care system by permanently enabling omnichannel care delivery that leverages both in-person and virtual care,” Zebley said in a statement announcing ATA’s policy goals. “In doing so, he will expand access to needed care for millions of patients, boost a beleaguered provider population and create greater efficiencies and operational successes for struggling health care organizations.”