A 2020 provision that allows seniors to receive mental health services through telehealth may become less restrictive under a bipartisan Senate proposal.
The original allowance required seniors to have had an in-person visit with the same provider six months earlier than their telehealth appointment. But a group of senators have proposed removing that restriction, the medical news outlet STAT has reported.
Pandemic mitigation measures have kept the requirement from going into effect so far. But if it is kept, it could “dramatically limit” the options seniors have when accessing mental health services. The restriction could certainly impact access to the services of online-only providers for example, according to STAT.
Virtual providers have proliferated during the pandemic and played a big role in serving mental health needs. The increased availability of telehealth services overall during that time may have saved lives, investigators say.
In a draft published Thursday, the senators also outlined plans to keep certain audio-only mental health coverage in Medicare, and to require insurers to publicize the availability of telehealth services, STAT reported.
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