Letter to the President - Matsui Calls on President Trump to Unlock Vital Tools For Treating Outbreak

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to request that you issue a federal emergency declaration in response to the growing COVID-19 crisis. A federal emergency declaration will ensure California's health care providers have access to the full array of tools they need to contain the outbreak.

California's Medicaid State Plan currently prohibits health centers from delivering and billing for telehealth services. In the wake of recent natural disasters in the state, the California legislature passed AB-1494, which allows health centers to bill for services delivered through alternative care models, including telehealth, during declared statewide emergencies. While the Secretary of Health and Human Services has already declared a public health emergency, California law AB-1494 cannot fully take effect until the President issues a federal emergency declaration.

Community health centers in California provide health care services to one in three Medi-Cal recipients and one in six Californians. In my district, our non-profit community-based Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) WellSpace Health provides comprehensive health care services to more than 70,800 patients. Across Sacramento County, WellSpace Health serves 83,699 patients. As of the writing of this letter, there has been one confirmed death, 10 confirmed cases and one patient in recovery in Sacramento County.

Telehealth can improve access to care, speed diagnosis and treatment, and limit the risk of person-to-person spread of the virus. As WellSpace Health and community health centers across California continue to provide vital primary health care services while fighting this outbreak, I request you immediately declare a federal state of emergency to allow California providers to utilize innovative health care methods such as telehealth during this time of crisis.

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