Letter to the Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House and the Hon. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader - Emmer Leads Bipartisan Letter to Leadership Requesting Extension of Mental Telehealth Care

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader McConnell:
It is no surprise that during these tumultuous times, mental health and addiction have increasingly become a
concern. Between behavioral health facilities and providerslimiting in-person treatments, patients not wishing
to leave home, and the social, economic and health stresses of the pandemic weighing on many, ensuring access
to mental health and addiction care is of the utmost importance. We are therefore writing to urge Congress to
expand behavioral telehealth servicesin any upcoming COVID-19 response packagesfor a reasonable transition
period following the COVID-19 emergency period to collect appropriate data to provide an adequate amount of
time to determine which of those flexibilities should be continued permanently.
Telehealth is proving to be an extremely successful approach in ensuring that patients are receiving mental
health and addiction care during this trying and unprecedented time, and we applaud the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS) for expanding behavioral telehealth flexibilities, and ultimately increasing access
to these essential services. In particular, we are grateful that CMS is providing broader coverage of behavioral
telehealth services, which has helped expand access to many individuals in rural and medically underserved
areas, and allowed individuals to receive these services in their home.
Furthermore, CMS announced that audio-only telephone communications would be considered a reimbursed
telehealth service for behavioral health care. We have heard from constituents and providers how important this
flexibility is for individuals living in areas with poor internet connectivity, or those who do not have access to
video telecommunication devices for care.
Without regular access to behavioral health services, we are concerned that thousands of individuals will be
seeking emergency care, with many turning to substance misuse or suicide risks. Telehealth is proving to be a
successful means in bridging this gap of care, and it is critical that once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides,
access to behavioral health services does not.