WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators working on mental health policy have proposed axing a requirement that would have restricted seniors’ access to services via telehealth, they announced Thursday.
Congress made access to mental health services through telehealth for seniors permanent in 2020, but there was a catch — seniors had to have visited the same provider in-person within the previous six months. That requirement hasn’t technically gone into effect yet because emergency regulations are still in place due to the pandemic, but if it were implemented, it could dramatically limit seniors’ options for mental health services.
Relaxing the in-person visit requirements would be good news for some virtual-only telehealth companies that have gained a foothold during the pandemic. Those companies have been lobbying for more permissive rules for telehealth coverage even after the emergency phase of the pandemic is over.
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