U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) recently made a bipartisan request that America’s senior citizens have expanded access to Medicare-covered telehealth services.
“Currently, Medicare only reimburses recipients for services conducted with audio and video equipment, excluding coverage of mental healthcare services provided over the phone,” Rep. Katko said on April 9. “With telehealth services being the only way millions of Americans have access to mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that CMS [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] immediately acts to expand coverage to audio-only telehealth services, ensuring all Medicare recipients have access to mental healthcare.”