Aaron Bean U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 4th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
Aaron Bean U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 4th district | Official U.S. House Headshot
U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean's (FL-04) bill to prevent providers from charging facility fees for telehealth services has passed the House Committee on Education and the Workforce with a unanimous vote of 34 to 0. The legislation, known as H.R. 9457, the Transparent Telehealth Bills Act, aims to protect employer-sponsored health plans from unnecessary fees, thereby reducing overall healthcare costs.
Budget estimates from the Department of Health and Human Services indicate that this legislation, in conjunction with a similar prohibition on facility fees for mental health services, could reduce healthcare costs by $2.3 billion over ten years.
“In recent years, telehealth has proven to be a valuable method for increasing healthcare access. In rural and remote communities like those in Florida’s Fourth District, virtual engagement with providers can eliminate hours of travel for patients in need of treatment,” said Congressman Bean. “There simply is no justification for providers to charge a walk-in-the-door fee for a service that the patient is receiving via telehealth having never stepped foot in a facility. My bill will help lower healthcare costs for patients by ensuring no extra fees are tacked onto their telehealth bills.”
Congressman Bean’s remarks during today’s House Committee on Education and the Workforce markup can be viewed here.
Alerts Sign-up