[NFBOH-Cleveland] Ohio please act on this today: Legislative Alert: Medicare Telehealth Benefits

Fri Sep 5 14:25:52 UTC 2025

  <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/images/images/top-blue-bar.jpg> 

 <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40149&qid=11621688> 

Blind Americans Urge the House of Representatives to Pass the CONNECT for
Health Act, H.R. 4206

The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and
advocacy organization of blind Americans, urges the members of the House of
Representatives to support and pass the CONNECT for Health Act, H.R. 4206. 

This bill will make permanent the expanded Medicare telehealth coverages
that were first introduced in 2020 and have been temporarily extended over
the past couple of years, with the most recent extension set to expire on
September 30. Just a couple of months ago at our national convention, we
passed Resolution 2025-07
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40150&qid=11621688>  on this very
topic.

How Members Can Help

Earlier this year, on March 5, President Riccobono wrote a letter to all
members of Congress urging them to pass legislation that would make the
expanded Medicare telehealth benefits permanent. Then in April, Senator
Brian Schatz of Hawaii introduced the CONNECT for Health Act in the Senate
with nearly sixty originating cosponsors. 

Just a couple of months later in June, Representative Mike Thompson of
California introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives,
which at the time of this writing has only nineteen cosponsors.

Those nineteen cosponsors are: David Schweikert [AZ-1], Nanette Diaz
Barragan [CA-44], Young Kim [CA-40], Doris O. Matsui [CA-7], Sarah McBride
[DE-At Large], Eleanor Holmes Norton [DC-At Large], Ed Case [HI-1], Jill N.
Tokuda [HI-2], Nikki Budzinski [IL-13], Raja Krishnamoorthi [IL-8], Don
Bacon [NE-2], Josh Gottheimer [NJ-5], Yvette D. Clarke [NY-9], Ritchie
Torres [NY-15], Troy Balderson [OH-12], Greg Landsman [OH-1], Steve Cohen
[TN-9], Jennifer L. McClellan [VA-4], Suhas Subramanyam [VA-10]. 

Given that the Senate version of the bill already has significant cosponsor
support, including from Majority Leader Thune, we are going to focus our
advocacy on increasing support in the House by asking you to call or email
your Representative if they do not appear on the above list. 

Sample Script

When you call or email you might say: "My name is [YOUR NAME] and I want to
urge [REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to support the CONNECT for Health Act, H.R. 4206.
This bill will make permanent Medicare telehealth benefits that have been
temporarily extended numerous times since 2020. 

Making these telehealth benefits permanent will significantly reduce the
travel burden on blind Americans who live in rural areas and may have
difficulty securing reliable transportation for regular physician visits.
Please cosponsor H.R. 4206. Thank you."

We suggest a subject like: "Please Cosponsor the CONNECT for Health Act,
H.R. 4206"

To find the contact information for your specific representative's office,
please use the attached spreadsheet. It is organized alphabetically by
state. You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for
the office in question. 

If you are having trouble finding the contact information for your member of
Congress, please contact Lindsey Walsh at lwalsh at nfb.org
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40151&qid=11621688> . If you email,
please copy Justin Young at jyoung at nfb.org
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40152&qid=11621688> .

About the National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore,
defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and
support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing
vision, and more. 

Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy
organization of blind Americans with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in
the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes
and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality.
Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40153&qid=11621688> .

Government Affairs Contact:

Justin Young
Governmental Affairs Specialist
National Federation of the Blind
410-659-9314, extension 2210
jyoung at nfb.org <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40152&qid=11621688> 

 <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40154&qid=11621688> 

 <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40155&qid=11621688> 

 <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40156&qid=11621688> 

 <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40157&qid=11621688> 

 <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40158&qid=11621688> 

 <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40159&qid=11621688> 

National Federation of the Blind | 200 E Wells Street | Baltimore, MD 21230
| 410-659-9314 

<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=25310&qid=11621688&
h=b49349168aa3a663> Unsubscribe from this mailing list |
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=25310&qid=11621688&h=b49
349168aa3a663> Opt out of all mailing lists |
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40160&qid=11621688> Sign up for our
newsletter 

200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States

.. 

  <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/open?qid=11621688>
<https://u32452178.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/open?upn=u001.KKBkbiHsujagQzxkBQWBPzJu
DrBYhEHTMYNmaony-2FT1PSEBb7ZVHEkTaY9Q-2B4INf6GUCVo74JStg9MfCSTgF-2B1SWE-2Fbe
RCYHknJ-2BSfzrNbgM20prJukh9TQxo-2BtdphEBGXul-2F6yiwl44URGdBS3QMAwMWXF-2BG-2B
WzXpuYivM2ry-2BpLtk5mlEhlnj0TEV5oHl7IAPhKO4JV7qlXA03-2Bj-2B8OqAKgqFQNU5XuQOQ
chaJa50-3D> 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250905/dbfb3464/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: September_Legislative_Alert_Spreadsheet_House.xlsx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
Size: 50631 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250905/dbfb3464/attachment.xlsx>