Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has introduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation to improve access to telehealth and lung cancer screenings.
The telehealth bill, known as the Permanent Telehealth from Home Act, would remove the originating site and geographic limitations for telehealth services, meaning it can be accessed anywhere. Although limitless access is currently part of the 2024 end-of-year government funding bill, it is set to expire in March.
As a result, Rep. Buchanan's bill would keep limitless access permanent.
In his press release, Rep. Buchanan said, "Making telehealth services available to patients regardless of their location is a major win for the nearly 200,000 seniors in my district and anyone in need of accessible, convenient care. Extending telehealth services will allow seniors continued access to critical health care, including emergency medical attention and mental health services. I look forward to working with the Trump administration to make this flexibility permanent and expand access to telehealth services."
Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA), the bill's cosponsor, added, "Since my days in the California State Senate, I've been a big believer in telehealth's ability to save money, time, and lives. Telehealth allows patients—especially those with low mobility or who otherwise can't make it to the doctor's office—to access the care they need when they need it. Expanding Americans' access to telehealth's vital services regardless of geography just makes sense. Thank you to Rep. Buchanan for his leadership on this issue."
Buchanan's second bill, the Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act, expedites approval processes for new lung cancer screening tests through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As the Florida Congressman explained, current law requires approval for new screening tests from the FDA and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) before they can be accessed. This process can take up to five years; even then, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must consider them.
"The federal government should make it easier for seniors and folks at risk to access crucial life-saving lung cancer screenings and not unreasonably hinder these tests from becoming available for use," Buchanan said in his press release, adding, "Unfortunately, bureaucratic red tape has too often stifled innovation, unreasonably delaying access to advanced testing. Early detection is key, and this bipartisan legislation ensures that more Americans have access to life-saving screenings."
