Bipartisan resolution reinforces growing Congressional momentum behind expanded telehealth access
WASHINGTON, DC, SEPTEMBER 28, 2026 – ATA Action, the American Telemedicine Association’s affiliated organization focused on Advocacy Shaping Virtual Care, today applauded Senate passage of a bipartisan resolution authored by Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) designating September 20–26 as “Telehealth Awareness Week.” The resolution, cosponsored by members of the bipartisan Senate Telehealth Working Group, recognizes telehealth’s role in expanding access to quality care for patients across the country, including in rural and underserved communities.
“Telehealth Awareness Week is a well-earned moment of recognition for a mode of care that has fundamentally changed how millions of Americans access the health system,” said Kyle Zebley, CEO of the ATA and Executive Director of ATA Action. “We commend Senators Schatz and Wicker, along with members of the Senate Telehealth Working Group, for their continued, clear-eyed leadership on this issue. The data speaks for itself: nearly a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries used virtual care last year, and satisfaction rates are consistently above 90 percent. That is not a pandemic-era artifact, that is a permanent and growing part of how Americans expect to receive care. Congress’s bipartisan recognition of that fact is exactly the kind of momentum we need heading into upcoming telehealth policy deadlines.”
Read the full text of the resolution here.
The resolution underscores the case for permanent telehealth flexibilities, including passage of the CONNECT for Health Act, which Senator Schatz has championed as the most comprehensive bipartisan telehealth legislation in Congress. ATA Action continues to advocate for permanent extension of telehealth flexibilities and looks forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to build on this week’s momentum.
About ATA Action
Founded in 2022 as the ATA’s affiliated 501(c)(6) organization, ATA Action is the leading organization focused on Advocacy Shaping Virtual Care, working with federal and state policymakers to expand and protect how virtual care is legislated and regulated. ATA Action drives industry momentum by influencing legislative and regulatory developments in telehealth, virtual care, remote patient monitoring, artificial intelligence in health, health data privacy, private sector healthcare investment, and more. Representing a diverse membership – including hospital systems, technology companies, professional associations, direct-to-consumer digital health providers, payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, digital therapeutics developers, and remote monitoring organizations – ATA Action facilitates member-led coalitions focused on initiatives such as Cross State Care, Digital Therapeutics, and Virtual Foodcare.
About the ATA
As the Definitive Voice for Virtual Care, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) is the catalyst for advancing innovation and the transformation of healthcare through virtual care, digital health, hybrid delivery, and AI-enabled care models. Representing the most diverse ecosystem in healthcare – including leading health systems, academic medical centers, payers, technology innovators, life sciences companies, and clinician leaders – the ATA convenes the field, builds consensus, advances education and practical resources, develops standards and frameworks, and provides policy leadership consistent with its status as a 501(c)(3) organization.