The Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024 offers a critical opportunity to secure life-saving healthcare access for millions of Americans, particularly those with Long COVID, infection-associated chronic conditions, disabilities, and individuals in underserved communities. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded telehealth services transformed healthcare delivery, allowing patients to access specialty care, therapy, and emergency services from home. For many, especially those with debilitating conditions like Long COVID, this flexibility has been a lifeline.

Long COVID patients often face severe multisystem complications that make in-person visits unsafe, exhausting, or impossible. Telehealth enables access to essential care, including consultations with multiple specialists, without the physical and financial toll of travel. Vulnerable populations, including Medicare and Medicaid recipients, disproportionately impacted by Long COVID, rely heavily on these services to manage their health. The stakes are particularly high for rural communities and individuals with limited mobility or compromised immune systems, who benefit from telehealth’s ability to eliminate barriers like travel and reduce exposure to infectious diseases. Without Congressional action to pass the Telehealth Modernization Act, these critical services will expire on December 31, leaving millions without access to the care they depend on.

This is not just about convenience—it’s about ensuring equitable healthcare access for those who need it most. Congress must act now to make telehealth a permanent fixture of our healthcare system and preserve the progress made in expanding access to care for all Americans,