Rep. Cheri Bustos of the 17th Congressional District helped to pass legislation this week that ensures Medicare patients can access telehealth services after the current public health emergency. Bustos has long advocated for increased availability of telehealth, or receiving doctor’s care by remote communication. The Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act was passed on a bipartisan basis. A few things the bill does; allows medicare beneficiaries the ability to receive telehealth services from any location including their homes. It also expands telehealth to all Medicare beneficiaries, whereas before it was only for beneficiaries in rural locations. Bustos says “these (telehealth) services have been a lifeline for patients across the country and particularly in rural communities where access to medical facilities is limited.”
