American Telemedicine Association Announces 65 Policy Champions Supporting First-Ever Telehealth Awareness Week 2021

Congressional Leaders Representing 34 States Support Advancement of Telehealth

News provided by

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA)

Sep 10, 2021, 10:15 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) today announced that 65 members of Congress, representing 34 states have signed on as Policy Champions of the inaugural Telehealth Awareness Week. Taking place September 19-25, Telehealth Awareness Week is a national platform engaging healthcare organizations, telehealth service providers, patient advocacy groups, policymakers and stakeholders at every level to support the advancement of telehealth as a quality care option for all Americans. A full schedule of events is planned during the week.

"We applaud all policymakers who have taken the actions necessary to ensure patients do not lose access to telehealth after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends in order to avoid the telehealth cliff," said Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the ATA. "Our Telehealth Awareness Week Policy Champions reinforce the fact that access to virtual care is a bipartisan issue that requires attention from both sides of the aisle to solve for health disparities that continue to affect members of rural and underserved communities."

Telehealth Awareness Week Policy Champions

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE)
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT)
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Sen. Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME)
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Sen. Christopher Murphy (D-CT)
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
Sen. Michael M. Rounds (R-SD)
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN)
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA)
Sen. Roger F. Wicker (R-MS)
Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC)
Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH)
Rep. Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA)
Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX)
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA)
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)
Rep. John Curtis (R-UT)
Rep. Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA)
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)
Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS)
Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA)
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH)
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA)
Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. Elaine G. Luria (D-VA)
Rep. Doris O. Matsui (D-CA)
Rep. David B. McKinley (R-WV)
Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY)
Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI)
Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY)
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA)
Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO)
Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY)
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)
Rep. David J. Trone (D-MD)
David G. Valadao (R-CA)
Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ)
Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)
Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX)

To learn more about activities planned for Telehealth Awareness Week visit the Telehealth Awareness Week Events Calendar.

Telehealth effectively connects individuals and their healthcare providers when in-person care is not necessary or not possible. Using telehealth services, patients can receive care, consult with a provider, get information about a condition or treatment, arrange for prescriptions, and receive a diagnosis. The most commonly used approaches in telehealth include virtual visits, chat-based interactions, remote patient monitoring, as well as emerging technology-based tools including artificial intelligence (AI), digital diagnostics and digital clinical trials.

About the ATA
As the only organization completely focused on advancing telehealth, the American Telemedicine Association is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to safe, affordable, and appropriate care when and where they need it, enabling the system to do more good for more people. The ATA represents a broad and inclusive member network of leading healthcare delivery systems, academic institutions, technology solution providers and payers, as well as partner organizations and alliances, working to advance industry adoption of telehealth, promote responsible policy, advocate for government and market normalization, and provide education and resources to help integrate virtual care into emerging value-based delivery models. @americantelemed #telehealthishealth #ATApolicy

SOURCE The American Telemedicine Association (ATA)