WASHINGTON, D.C. September 10, 2024 – Today, more than 330 stakeholder organizations asked Congress and the White House to intervene to ensure ongoing access to remote prescribing of controlled substances. The letters were co-led by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and ATA Action alongside other like-minded partners and organizations. Stakeholders anticipate, based on current reporting, that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will dramatically limit virtual prescribing, either through new regulations or by allowing the existing flexibilities to expire at year-end.
“This is a predictable and preventable crisis that is looming come January 1 and we are quickly running out of time to save countless patients from being abandoned, left without lifesaving clinically appropriate care,” said Kyle Zebley, the ATA’s senior vice president, public policy, and executive director, ATA Action. “With each day, we are losing precious time the DEA needs to properly develop a rule that appropriately permits and regulates the prescribing of controlled substances through telehealth without jeopardizing the health and safety of Americans, especially those in underserved communities.”
Specifically, the letters to House and Senate leaders urge Congress to include a two-year extension of pandemic-era remote prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances in an end-of-year legislative package. The letter to the White House recommends that the Biden Administration work with the DEA and other relevant agencies to use existing authorities to extend these flexibilities for two years, providing the DEA with additional time to fulfill its congressional mandate to establish a special registration pathway that balances access to medically necessary care with appropriate enforcement.
“President Biden has already pledged to do all he can to protect all Americans, especially those who are vulnerable, from losing access to vital healthcare services, and we are grateful for the Administration’s longstanding commitment to establishing telehealth as a permanent part of care delivery,” Zebley added. “It’s in the hands of our policy champions in the Administration and Congress to safeguard the American people, create predictability for our providers, and modernize our healthcare system to make sure patients receive timely and necessary care. We continue to stand ready to work with policymakers to make telehealth a permanent option in a modernized healthcare system.”
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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.
About ATA Action
ATA Action recognizes that telehealth and virtual care have the potential to transform the healthcare delivery system by improving patient outcomes, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of care, addressing health disparities, and reducing costs. ATA Action is a registered 501c6 entity and an affiliated trade organization of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).