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InSight + Regroup Joins Other Signatories in Urging Congress to Make Telehealth Flexibilities Permanent

Written by InSight + Regroup | Jun 30, 2020 12:55:49 PM

Mount Laurel, NJ – InSight + Regroup continues to be a strong and vocal advocate for telehealth, particularly for keeping many of the temporary telehealth-friendly regulations that were rapidly put into place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, InSight + Regroup joined 340 national and regional organizations and healthcare stakeholders across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in signing a letter to Congressional leaders imploring policymakers to make telehealth flexibilities created during the COVID-19 pandemic permanent. 

Telehealth adoption has soared in recent months due to the temporary COVID-19 related telehealth flexibilities extended to healthcare organizations during the public health emergency.  With so many people accessing care virtually during this time, telehealth has demonstrated its value as a safe and effective way to meet the growing need for medical and behavioral health care.  As a result of the temporary policy changes, 46 percent of Americans used telehealth to replace a canceled healthcare visit during the pandemic (compared to 11 percent who used telehealth services in 2019) and 76 percent indicate they are now interested in using telehealth moving forward.1 

 Unfortunately, without Congressional action, Medicare beneficiaries will abruptly lose access to nearly all recently expanded coverage of telehealth services when the emergency declaration ends.  

InSight + Regroup, along with hundreds of other organizations, firmly believes that telehealth has the power to transform our nation’s health care system, reduce disparities in health outcomes and significantly transform and expand access to care among patients, particularly those in underserved populations and communities.  As such, we feel strongly that the positive regulatory changes that were put into place in response to the COVID-19 should not be rescinded and outdated and impractical barriers to care breinstated. 

To read the full letter to Congress, including the list of 340 stakeholders, click here. 

About InSight + Regroup 

InSight + Regroup is the leading and largest telepsychiatry service provider in the US with a mission to transform access to quality behavioral health care.  InSight + Regroup serves hundreds of organizations and individuals in various settings across the continuum of care with its on-demand, scheduled services and direct-to-consumer (Inpathy) divisions.  Given its size, diversity of services and extensive experience and expertise, InSight + Regroup is uniquely positioned to enable scalable telepsychiatry programs across the care continuum.  As an industry thought leader, InSight + Regroup has helped shape the field, define the standard of care and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations.  To learn more, visit www.InSightTelepsychiatry.com  and www.RegroupTelehealth.com.