As Congress and the Biden administration eye the end of national and public health emergency measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Veterans Affairs is asking to keep the authority to conduct telehealth appointments and prescribe medications across state lines.
The emergencies allowed physicians to hold appointments with patients on computers or smartphones and approve medications, including controlled substances, regardless of location, bolstering the VA's ability to provide care to veterans in rural or remote areas, according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough.
Should these permissions end without congressional intervention, 2.7 million veterans in rural locales who use VA health care and another 1.3 million veterans who are not enrolled in VA health services but use private care could lose easy access to their prescription drugs.
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During a press conference Tuesday in Washington, D.C., McDonough cited an example of a veteran living in rural Colorado who receives prescription renewals through the VA's Clinical Resource Hub in Boise, Idaho.
“We need action from Congress before these emergencies end to ensure that veterans maintain the same level of access and high-quality care they deserve,” McDonough said.
President Joe Biden announced Monday that national emergency pandemic measures will end May…
