III
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 805
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 28, 2022
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 18 through September 24, 2022, 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 has played a significant role in supporting access to quality health care services for millions of patients during the COVID–19 public health emergency and will continue to be essential beyond the end of the public health emergency;
Whereas more than 28,000,000 Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth during the first year of the COVID–19 pandemic;
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 while the overall use of health care services among such beneficiaries remained relatively stable;
Whereas, following the unprecedented use of telehealth and virtual care services in response to the public health emergency, telehealth now represents a critical component of care delivery, demonstrating the need to balance in-person and virtual care in the health care system;
Whereas, in 2021, 91 percent of Medicare beneficiaries were satisfied with their telehealth experiences;
Whereas legislative efforts to increase telehealth access have received bipartisan support in the Senate and the House of Representatives;
Whereas the United States has the opportunity to help improve broader 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
That the Senate—
supports the designation of the week of September 18 through September 24, 2022, as Telehealth Awareness Week
;
recognizes the impact of telehealth in delivering health care services for patients across the United States; and
urges that steps should be taken—
to raise awareness about the benefits of expanding telehealth;
to highlight resources for health care providers and patients regarding telehealth;
to collect and analyze data on the impacts of telehealth; and
to promote continued access to telehealth for all communities and across settings beyond the COVID–19 pandemic.