Overview

Patients at Community Health Centers (CHCs) rely on telehealth to access primary and preventive care.

CHCs pioneered the use of telehealth technology to expand access to comprehensive services, especially behavioral health, in hard-to-reach rural and underserved communities. Over the last five years, CHCs greatly expanded telehealth services, and 99% now use telehealth or virtual care to meet patients where they are. Telehealth brings care to patients who cannot travel, reduces missed appointments, and boosts staff retention, benefiting CHC patients and staff.

Patients value the quality and flexibility of telehealth: More than 90% of CHC patients are satisfied with telehealth care and agree that it improves access to needed services and saves time traveling to receive care.
Telehealth expands access to primary care and behavioral health services, facilitating 18 million visits in 2023, with 40% of those visits addressing mental health needs.
Over 40% of CHCs are in rural communities, and 97% of rural CHCs have adopted telehealth to bridge gaps in access due to geographic barriers.
Audio-only telehealth is essential for seniors and those who have difficulty using a video-enabled device, like a smartphone or tablet. 83% of CHC patients over 65 rely on audio-only services, compared to 50% across all age groups.

Congressional action is needed to protect patient access to telehealth at CHCs

Fair Reimbursement for Audio-Only Visits: Medicare reimbursement for medical (non-behavioral) telehealth services, including audio-only visits, must match in-person rates to ensure seniors have access to essential care, especially in rural areas. Currently, CHCs are reimbursed for medical (non-behavioral) telehealth visits at less than 50% of in-person rates, creating an unsustainable model that restricts seniors’ virtual care options.

Extend Medicare Telehealth flexibilities: Medicare telehealth payment flexibilities for CHCs, such as coverage for audio-only services and the waiver of restrictions on the patient’s and clinician’s locations, currently expire on December 31, 2027. These flexibilities should be permanently extended to ensure predictability and stability in seniors’ care experience at CHCs.