[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 148 (Monday, September 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 840--SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF THE WEEK OF 
  SEPTEMBER 15 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 21, 2024, AS ``TELEHEALTH AWARENESS 
                                 WEEK''

  Mr. SCHATZ (for himself, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Thune, Mr. 
Warner, and Mrs. Hyde-Smith) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 840

       Whereas telehealth allows a health care practitioner to 
     furnish health care services to a patient or a practitioner 
     at a different physical location than the health care 
     practitioner;
       Whereas telehealth played a significant role in supporting 
     access to quality health care services for millions of 
     patients during the COVID-19 public health emergency and 
     continues to be important beyond the end of the public health 
     emergency;
       Whereas Medicare beneficiaries used 88 times more 
     telehealth services during the first year of the COVID-19 
     pandemic than they did in the prior year;
       Whereas 25 percent of Medicare beneficiaries received at 
     least 1 telehealth service in 2023;
       Whereas, in 2023, approximately 90 percent of Medicare 
     beneficiaries who received a telehealth service were 
     satisfied with their experience;
       Whereas, in 2023, telehealth was a routine health care 
     modality with 13 percent of Medicare beneficiaries using 
     telehealth in the last quarter of the calendar year;
       Whereas telehealth is a common care modality for Medicare 
     beneficiaries to receive behavioral health services, with 
     half of common psychotherapy services furnished under the 
     original Medicare fee-for-service program delivered by 
     telehealth in 2022;
       Whereas Federally qualified health centers and rural health 
     clinics use telehealth to deliver services to rural and 
     underserved populations;
       Whereas, following the unprecedented use of telehealth 
     services in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, 
     telehealth now represents a critical component of health care 
     delivery;
       Whereas legislative efforts to increase telehealth access 
     have received bipartisan support in the Senate and the House 
     of Representatives;
       Whereas the United States has an opportunity to help 
     improve access to health services for all individuals, 
     including members of rural and underserved communities; and
       Whereas ``Telehealth Awareness Week'' unites the efforts of 
     patients, caregivers, health care providers, policymakers, 
     and other stakeholders to advance the role of telehealth in 
     health care: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of September 15 through September 
     21, 2024, as ``Telehealth Awareness Week'';
       (2) recognizes the impact of telehealth in delivering 
     health care services for patients across the United States; 
     and
       (3) urges that steps should be taken to--
       (A) raise awareness about the benefits of telehealth;
       (B) highlight resources for health care providers and 
     patients regarding telehealth;
       (C) collect and analyze data on the impacts of telehealth; 
     and
       (D) promote continued access to telehealth for all 
     communities and across settings.

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