[NFBV-Announce] Legislative Alert: Medicare Telehealth Benefits

[tracy.soforenko at gmail.com]

September is a critical month for our legislative advocacy in Congress. This
week, we are focused on building support for telehealth services in the
House of Representatives. 

Our goal is to share our request and why it matters. 

Then, we are asking you to send one email to the legislative director for
your member of the House of Representatives. The email address for the staff
member is included in the attached Word document. If you prefer to call, the
number for the House office for each Virginia Representative is included in
the attached Word document.

If your member of the House is Jennifer L. McClellan [VA-4] or Suhas
Subramanyam [VA-10, they have already supported the legislation, and you do
not need to take any action this week. If you live in VA-11, the
Congressional seat formerly held by the late Congressman Jerry Connolly, we
encourage you to vote in Tuesday's election to fill this seat but no action
is required on this legislation.

Summary Context:

 

The National Federation of the Blind 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=11625536>  on this very
topic.

What we are requesting and why

 

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.

How you can assist

 

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. We are requesting that you simply contact your member
of the House of Representatives this week via email or phone  .

 

The attachment (which should not be forwarded to the member of Congress)
provides the email addresses for staff members for our Representatives in
Virginia. It also provides the phone numbers for the House offices. You need
only to send your message to your specific member of Congress. 

 

We think it is easiest to send an email.

 

If you email, please copy Jesse Shirek in our national legislative team at
jshirek at nfb.org <https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=40034&qid=11615738> 

 

Please remember to update the below with the specific name of the staff
member for your member of Congress and remember to put your name and address
as your signature.

 

Subject: Please Cosponsor the CONNECT for Health Act, H.R. 4206

Hello Legislative Director, <Insert staff member's name from list>

 

I request that you urge your boss 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 ask your boss to cosponsor H.R. 4206. 

Thank you,

 

[Insert your name, address, and phone number]

 

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