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LUGPA Policy Brief: CONNECT for Health Act

July 2025 

LUGPA advocates for policies that enhance patient access to high-quality urological care. The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act, reintroduced in 2025 by a bipartisan group of 60 U.S. Senators led by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), represents pivotal legislation aimed at expanding Medicare's telehealth services.

Telehealth has become an essential component of modern healthcare delivery. Recent data show that nearly one in four Americans used telehealth services in a single month, a testament to its growing role in meeting patient needs. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this transformation, demonstrating how telehealth can expand access to timely, high-quality care, particularly in rural and underserved communities where in-person services are often limited.

The CONNECT for Health Act builds on this progress by seeking to make the temporary telehealth flexibilities introduced during the public health emergency permanent. By expanding access to telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries, this bipartisan legislation ensures that the benefits of virtual care, convenience, efficiency, and improved outcomes remain a lasting part of our healthcare system.

Key Provisions of the CONNECT for Health Act

The CONNECT for Health Act proposes comprehensive reforms to modernize telehealth policy:

  • Permanent Removal of Geographic Restrictions: Eliminates constraints on telehealth services, enabling patients to receive care from any location, including their homes.
  • Expansion of Originating Sites: Allows health centers and rural health clinics to serve as originating sites for telehealth services, increasing access for underserved populations.
  • Broadened Provider Eligibility: Expands the scope of healthcare professionals eligible to deliver telehealth services, enhancing flexibility for practices.
  • Removal of In-Person Requirements for Telemental Health: Eliminates unnecessary in-person visit requirements for mental health services provided via telehealth, benefiting urology patients with related needs.
  • Public Health Emergency Waivers: Permits waivers of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies to ensure continuity of care.
  • Data Collection and Reporting: Mandates the collection and publication of data to assess telehealth's impact on care quality and identify areas for enhancement.

Implications for Urology Practices

The CONNECT for Health Act carries significant implications for urology practices, particularly those within LUGPA’s network of independent, physician-led groups:

  • Enhanced Access to Care: By removing geographic barriers and expanding originating sites, the legislation enables urology practices to reach patients in remote and underserved areas, where specialized care access is often limited.
  • Improved Patient Outcomes: Telehealth facilitates timely consultations, follow-ups, and management of chronic urological conditions (e.g., prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia), potentially reducing complications and hospitalizations.
  • Operational Efficiency: Expanded telehealth capabilities optimize scheduling, reduce no-show rates, and allocate in-person resources to procedures requiring physical presence, such as surgeries or diagnostic tests.
  • Support for Integrated Care: Removing in-person requirements for telemental health services supports holistic care for urology patients, many of whom may have concurrent mental health needs related to their diagnoses or treatments.

LUGPA strongly supports the CONNECT for Health Act as forward-thinking legislation aligned with our mission to promote accessible, high-quality urological care. The provisions of this bill address critical barriers to telehealth adoption, ensuring that independent urology practices can effectively leverage technology to meet the needs of Medicare beneficiaries. By making COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent and expanding access, the legislation will enhance care delivery, particularly for patients in rural and underserved communities.

The CONNECT for Health Act represents a transformative opportunity to modernize telehealth policy and enhance healthcare access for Medicare beneficiaries. For urology practices, this legislation supports improved patient care, operational efficiency, and the ability to serve diverse populations. LUGPA encourages swift congressional action to pass this bipartisan legislation, ensuring that patients and providers can continue to benefit from telehealth’s proven advantages.