Attention all Kansas RT's and your families, friends, patients, and coworkers

Congress Needs to Hear from You NOW!

The wait is over! The Medicare Telehealth Parity Act has been re-introduced in Congress with the bill number H.R. 2948.

In order to make sure that Members of Congress know that the respiratory care profession still supports the bill and, more importantly, that respiratory therapists want their own Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 2948, we’re relaunching our Virtual Lobby Week set for July 17–26. 

H.R. 2948 expands opportunities for Medicare beneficiaries who suffer from pulmonary disease by

1) covering respiratory services when furnished via an interactive telecommunications system,

2) including an individual’s home as a telehealth site, and

3) naming respiratory therapists as qualified telehealth professionals.

The latter is most important because it will add respiratory therapists to the Medicare statute, a long-time goal of the AARC. The bill also covers remote patient monitoring for patients with certain chronic conditions that include COPD when furnished as part of chronic care management services.

In order for H.R. 2948, the Medicare Telehealth Parity Act to gain the co-sponsors necessary to move forward through the legislative process, your State Representatives need to hear from you, the voter, that you want him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 2948. You can also ask your Senators to support introduction of a Senate companion bill. To help you achieve these goals, the AARC is rebooting our successful Virtual Lobby Week.

So use the AARC’s Capitol Connection to send your emails of support.

Please take a few minutes to complete your emails. 

Thanks for your support!

Elissa Williams

Karen Schell

KRCS PACT representatives.