Energy & Commerce Committee Unanimously Passes Matsui's Telehealth Legislation to Increase Access to Behavioral Health Treatment

Washington, D.C. Today, Congresswoman Matsui's "Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act" passed the House Energy andamp; Commerce Committee unanimously.

"We know that if we can get patients the care they need as early as possible, before their disease progresses to a crisis point, we can improve their health outcomes. We also know that managing chronic conditions like substance use disorder, or a mental illness, requires consistent, ongoing access to treatment," said Matsui at the markup.

Matsui went on to say, "Telehealth can allow patients to work with their providers remotely to monitor their conditions and identify problems before they become emergencies."

The Access to Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders Act, based on Rep. Matsui and Rep. Bill Johnson's Evidence-Based Telehealth Expansion Act (H.R. 3482), would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to waive Medicare restrictions on reimbursement for telemedicine services provided to patients suffering from an opioid use disorder.

The bill was considered as part of an Energy andamp; Commerce markup of legislation related to the opioid epidemic.

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