CHIME and More Than 60 Organizations Send Letter to Capitol Hill Urging Congress to Extend Telehealth Flexibilities

Ann Arbor, MI, December 3, 2024 - Today the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) along with 62 healthcare organizations and other entities called on Congress to take immediate action and extend the telehealth policies established during the pandemic for another two years.

Providers simply can’t afford this type of uncertainty and patients have come to count on telehealth for their healthcare needs. Without action from Congress, access to care will be interrupted and the nation’s most vulnerable patents will be impacted.

"Telehealth provides critical access for patients and families. Despite uncertainty, providers have worked for years to ensure quality care and invested in systems to ensure security and equity, "said CHIME Board Chair, Scott MacLean, CHCIO, FCHIME, LCHIME. He went onto add, "Congressional leaders have signaled support for this bipartisan issue. Across the country patients are scheduled for telehealth visits expecting continuity in their care. Anything less than another two-year extension as soon as possible will be chaotic and disruptive for clinicians and patients who have become comfortable with telehealth as a way to gain access to care.”

We are asking lawmakers to work in a bipartisan manner and to put patients first by extending this deadline. They are staring down a challenging economy and inflationary pressures, less access to specialty care, provider shortages in rural and hard to reach areas, and record numbers struggling with mental health issues. This all comes at a time when clinician workforce shortages are worsening.

Providers have invested heavily in telehealth technologies. According to CHIME’s 2024 Most Wired survey: 93% of HCO's operate a telehealth service; 80% of HCO's now offer asynchronous provider visits with 63% of those being fully adopted across their enterprise; 97% have adopted virtual patient and family visits; and 87% are utilizing remote patient monitoring integrated into the treatment plan.

Extending these policies another two years brings stability, honors these significant investments, helps alleviate a decimated workforce, and meets patients where they are. There simply are not enough clinicians to go around if we don’t leverage technology like telehealth, we are leaving viable solutions on the table.

“Let’s not pull the rug out on them both now,” said Russ Branzell, CEO CHIME, stating, “patients have to rely on telehealth as an important care modality. We can’t afford to go backwards at this point. Care innovation is here to stay and leveraging telehealth moves healthcare forward.”

Acting now to continue the telehealth policies in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) from 2023 another two years is about being smart with the resources we have and putting technology to work for patients and the providers who care for them.

Click here to read the letter sent to Congressional leadership.

About CHIME

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is an executive organization dedicated to serving chief information officers (CIOs), chief medical information officers (CMIOs), chief nursing information officers (CNIOs), chief innovation officers (CIOs), chief digital officers (CDOs), and other senior healthcare IT leaders. CHIME supports thousands of members across numerous countries, including two U.S. territories. Together with over 180 healthcare IT business partners and professional services firms, CHIME and its three associations provide a highly interactive, trusted environment. This enables senior professionals and industry leaders to collaborate, exchange best practices, address professional development needs, and advocate for the effective use of information management to improve health and care in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit chimecentral.org.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Calli Dretke

Executive Vice President & Chief Digital and Marketing Officer

CHIME

1. 412.6255

[email protected]