Congressman Bean Protects Patients from Surprise Telehealth Facility Charges

WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean’s (FL-04) bill to prevent providers from charging facility fees for telehealth services passed the House Committee on Education and the Workforce by a vote of 34 to 0. H.R. 9457, the Transparent Telehealth Bills Act, would protect employer-sponsored health plans from paying unnecessary fees, lowering overall healthcare costs.

According to budget estimates from the Department of Health and Human Services, this legislation, combined with a similar prohibition on facility fees for mental health services, would lower healthcare costs by $2.3 billion over 10 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.”

Watch Congressman Bean’s remarks in today’s House Committee on Education and the Workforce markup HERE. 

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