WASHINGTON - TelAve -- The Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law (CTeL) has submitted formal testimony to the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health, urging legislators to address critical policy barriers hindering the advancement of digital healthcare in the United States. The comments were submitted for the subcommittee's hearing, "Health at Your Fingertips: Harnessing the Power of Digital Health Data."

In its testimony, CTeL, a non-profit research institute focusing on digital health law and policy, identified three key areas requiring immediate congressional action to ensure the future of healthcare is "digital, data-driven, and personalized."

"For patients and health systems to realize the full potential of digital health, we need a stable and modern regulatory framework," said Christa Natoli, Executive Director of CTeL.

"Temporary measures and outdated rules create uncertainty that stifles innovation and prevents providers from investing in the technologies that improve patient care and create efficiencies."

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CTeL's recommendations to the subcommittee are:

• Make Telehealth Waivers Permanent: The current cycle of short-term extensions for telehealth services, initially expanded during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, discourages long-term investment by healthcare providers. Citing initial setup costs that can exceed $256,460 and annual operating costs of over $1.2 million for some health centers, CTeL argues that a permanent policy is necessary to give practices the assurance they need to invest in digital infrastructure.
• Close the Connectivity Gap: A patient's right to their health data is meaningless if they cannot access it. CTeL highlighted that internet connectivity is a "critical determinant of health" and pointed to significant gaps in patient access. Millions of Americans lack adequate fixed broadband speeds for telehealth, while many others who rely solely on smartphones face restrictive data caps, forcing them to ration data use for essential health services. CTeL urged Congress to reinstate the Affordable Connectivity Program and establish a "Health Data Lifeline," which would exempt essential digital health services from data caps.
• Modernize Medicare Reimbursement: Current Medicare payment methodologies fail to account for the unique costs of digital health tools, such as software, data connectivity, and IT maintenance. CTeL noted that CMS currently classifies many of these technology-related software fees as indirect costs rather than direct practice expenses. This misclassification discourages the adoption of innovative remote monitoring and digital health services. CTeL calls on Congress to ensure CMS updates its reimbursement models to reflect the actual costs of delivering 21st-century care.

CTeL concluded by expressing its eagerness to collaborate with the subcommittee to support legislative efforts that expand patient access to digital health data and services.

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The Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law (CTeL) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research institute dedicated to advancing the understanding of legal, regulatory, and policy issues in digital health through innovative research and analysis.

For more information, visit www.ctel.org.