Chavez-DeRemer, colleagues introduce bipartisan bill to expand specialty care through telehealth services

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) joined Reps. Michelle Steel (CA-45), Susie Lee (NV-03), and several of her colleagues to introduce the Equal Access to Specialty Care Everywhere Act (EASE) Act. The bipartisan legislation would increase access to specialty care services for patients living in underserved communities.

Specifically, the proposal would utilize existing Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation funds to test a virtual specialty network dedicated to providing a range of virtual modalities.

“Too many Oregon families struggle to access high-quality health care, especially in our rural communities,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “Partnering with physicians to expand telehealth services is a commonsense solution that would help improve outcomes for Oregonians in these underserved areas, including for many Medicare beneficiaries. I’m proud to support the EASE Act and appreciate Congresswoman Steel’s leadership on this issue.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has found that Medicaid beneficiaries experience access barriers, with clinics serving many beneficiaries reporting challenges in scheduling specialist visits. In a sample of Community Health Centers (CHCs) CMS in Medicaid expansion states, nearly 60 percent reported difficulty obtaining new patient specialty visits for their Medicaid patients, particularly for specialists in orthopedics, gastroenterology, neurology, and psychiatry. Patients most commonly cited long travel distances and out-of-pocket costs as barriers to specialty access.

With persistent specialist shortages, this legislation would enable greater patient access to specialty care services such as cardiology, neurology, and endocrinology to address diabetes, chronic heart disease, and other chronic health conditions. It also would reduce wait times, prevent costly emergency room visits, and improve care coordination for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.