The AARC needs your help! There are three bills that have been introduced in the House of Representatives that include respiratory care as a telehealth service and respiratory therapists among the professionals covered to provide telehealth and/or remote patient monitoring services under Medicare. The bills are:
H.R. 2550 — Medicare Telehealth Parity Act
H.R. 2291 — Helping Expand Telehealth to Rural America (HEART) Act
H.R. 766 — Telehealth for Individuals Residing in Public Housing
As with previous bills, the importance of moving these bills forward and getting them signed into law is not so much the specifics of each each (which involves Telehealth) but, more importantly, gaining recognition for Respiratory Therapists under Medicare. This is a big deal for the respiratory profession as it is still not recognized as a reimbursable provider.
Co-sponsors of these bills are needed in order to move them forward through the legislative process. You can help by sending emails to your members of the House of Representatives asking for co-sponsorship. The AARC wants to get the ball rolling by emailing the House before they leave for their home districts during the month of August.
You can help by participating in the Virtual Lobby Week. Sending a message is simple via the AARC’s Capital Connection. Email messages have already been pre-written that you can send to House Members based on your relationship to the respiratory profession, or you can personalize them as you see fit.
It’s important that House Members hear from RTs, patients, and other supporters “back home” to gain co-sponsorship of these telehealth bills that can advance the respiratory profession.
Click on this link and it will take you right to the page with links to the different pre-drafted messages. If you are an RT, simply click on the link at the top of the list – right in the middle of the page.
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