For Immediate Release:
Contact: Kelly Broadway, 202-808-8853
kbroadway@health-innovation.org
Importance of Information-Sharing & Technology Highlighted in Omnibus Bill
Washington, D.C. – The Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) commends lawmakers for including priorities and revisions requested by HIA in the end-of-year spending bill, including expanding access to telehealth services and improving our public health system.
Several changes made to the PREVENT Pandemics Act included in the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2023 recognize the need to use state-based systems, ensure experts from states are in the room while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to modernize public health data, and guarantees trust and privacy for individuals. A successful partnership building off what already works between the private sector, state and local officials, and the CDC is crucial to improving public health surveillance information.
"HIA looks forward to building off the successful changes to the PREVENT Pandemics Act to ensure the CDC implements a robust, trustworthy, public health information infrastructure that relies upon the private sector experts working at the state and local levels," said Joel White, Executive Director, HIA. “We will work with the 118th Congress to ensure appropriate oversight of the CDC and to move our public health system away from outdated technology.”
HIA has been actively engaged in efforts to expand telehealth access and is pleased lawmakers included a two-year extension allowing patients to continue using health savings accounts to pay for telehealth services and extended access to telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries through 2024. Our calls for delaying the requirement for in-person visits for mental health services through telehealth were also answered and, as such, will help those struggling to access or continue to access much-needed care.
“Making telehealth available across employer plans will help more Americans get access to telehealth going forward, and we look forward to collaborating with lawmakers to advance that policy next year,” said Brett Meeks, Vice President, HIA.