HIA Supports Bi-partisan Safe Testing at Residence Telehealth (START) Act

Today the Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) issued the following statement of support for the Safe Testing at Residence Telehealth (START) Act, introduced by Congressmen David Schweikert (R-Arizona), Bobby Rush (D-Illinois), Mike Kelly (R-Pennsylvania), and Mike Thompson (D-California):

"We commend the sponsors of this common sense legislation to encourage safe and convenient testing, while avoiding unnecessary exposure to the health care system where spread of Covid-19 is more likely and costs are higher." said Joel White, Executive Director, Health Innovation Alliance.

This bipartisan legislation would provide robust at-home COVID-19 testing for seniors and other vulnerable populations. Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Family Foundation have found that U.S. adults age 65 and older account for roughly 16 percent of the population and 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths. 

The Safe Testing at Residence Telehealth Act of 2020 would amend the Social Security Act by adding coverage and payment for Medicare beneficiaries to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved at-home tests. The approved tests would help diagnose or discount a diagnosis of COVID-19 or other similar respiratory infection and be done in conjunction with an assistive telehealth consultation. 

Through this legislation, seniors will be able to safely consult with their physician from the comfort of their homes. Relieved of risking exposure or coordinating transportation, families and health officials will now have more complete data to act on. Seniors continue adapting to the new models of care made available thanks to generous telehealth waiver restrictions. From January to June of 2020, 43 percent of Medicare nationwide primary care claims have been through telehealth. 

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HIA Endorses the Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2020 (H.R. 7663)

Health Innovation Alliance has long been a champion of telehealth and today we, along with over 250 joining organizations, endorsed the Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2020. 

This bill includes four major provisions that will help ensure that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have access to telehealth services following the end of the public health emergency. These include: 

  • Removing arbitrary geographic restrictions on where a patient must be located in order to utilize telehealth services;

  • Enabling patients to continue to receive telehealth services in their homes;

  • Ensuring federally qualified health centers and rural health centers can furnish telehealth services; and

  • Establishing permanent waiver authority for the Secretary of Health & Human Services during future emergency periods and for 90 days after the expiration of a public health emergency period.

The Health Innovation Alliance applauds the House Telehealth Caucus for leading on this important issue. While there is more work to be done, and we will continue to advocate for reforms that further enhance access to telehealth, we hope that you will also be able to support passage of the Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2020.

If you would like to know more about HIA's priorities and our perspective on telehealth, please reach out to awils@health-innovation.org.

HIA Applauds House Passage of Rep. Bill Foster (IL), Rep. Mike Kelly (PA) Amendment Clearing the Path for Accurate Patient Data to Fight COVID-19

Washington, D.C. (July 31, 2020) : Today the Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) issued the following statement regarding the passage of the U.S. House of Representatives spending bill (H.R. 7617) the “Defense, Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, House and Urban Development Appropriations Act of 2021,” which included an Amendment to allow HHS to fund the national patient identifier implementation. 

"There has never been a clearer need to have accurate patient information. Filling in these critical gaps of data are essential to effectively respond to any public health crisis," said Joel White, Executive Director. "We applaud Representatives Foster and Kelly for their leadership in this effort and look forward to its full Congressional passage and implementation by the Administration." 

Striking Section 510 from the Labor-HHS appropriations bill will provide the US Department of Health and Human Services the ability to evaluate a full range of patient matching solutions and enable it to work with the private sector to identify a solution that is cost-effective, scalable, secure and one that protects patient privacy. 

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HIA Signs-on to Congressional Letter supporting the Foster-Kelly amendment in the FY 2021 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill

HIA joins 63 health organizations in support of the amendment offered by Representative Foster (IL) and Representative Kelly (PA) to strike Section 510 of the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill (H.R. 7617), which would impede  the adoption of a national patient identifier. Ensuring that we have the right patient at the point of care is paramount for patient safety, especially in the midst of a pandemic. 

HIA Joins CTA's New Initiative to Respond to Future Pandemics

CTA has convened health care and technology leaders, including Health Innovation Alliance, to ensure an effective and public sector response to future pandemics like COVID-19.

“I look forward to contributing to the important work of CTA’s Public Health Tech Initiative. Policymakers need solutions that maximize technology to address current and future public health challenges.”
— Joel White, Executive Director