Expanding Remote Monitoring Access Act

Key Points

• The bill lowers the amount of patient data Medicare requires before paying for remote monitoring services, from 16 days to just 2 days out of every 30, for a 2-year period.
• Congress points to a temporary COVID-era rule that already lowered the requirement to 2 days for COVID patients, arguing the same flexibility should apply to everyone who could benefit.
• The bill lists many medical situations, from sleep apnea to physical therapy to hypertension, where doctors say fewer than 16 days of data collection is enough for meaningful care.
• One year after the law passes, HHS must report to Congress on how the change worked, including cost savings and recommendations for a permanent reimbursement system based on patient acuity.
• The bill cites a 2019 VA report showing veterans using remote monitoring had 53 percent fewer hospital bed days and 33 percent fewer hospital admissions, as evidence supporting the change.