III
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 840
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
That the Senate—
designates the week of September 15 through September 21, 2024, 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 telehealth;
highlight resources for health care providers and patients regarding telehealth;
collect and analyze data on the impacts of telehealth; and
promote continued access to telehealth for all communities and across settings.