THE BERGMAN FILE ∫ NAME: Jack Bergman ∫ AGE: 77 ∫ LIVES IN: Watersmeet ∫ OCCUPATION: retired Marine general ∫ ELECTED EXPERIENCE: four terms in Congress ∫ FAMILY: married, five children

WASHINGTON DC – Representatives Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) reintroduced legislation to permanently extend tele-health flexibilities established during the COVID-19 pandemic, to make it easier for people to continue to access remote care many have come to depend on.

“One of the few positive lessons learned from the COVID pandemic was just how impactful tele-health can be – especially for rural and remote communities,” Bergman said. “It helped bring care directly to people who often have the fewest options. We should be doing everything we can to make sure our healthcare system keeps meeting people where they’re at, and I’m proud to co-lead the Advancing Access to Telehealth Act alongside Congresswoman Dingell.”

“Telehealth services are an essential part of our healthcare system. It is a fact that having to physically travel to a doctor’s office or hospital can present a serious barrier to care for seniors, people with disabilities, and people who live in rural areas that are far from a health care provider,” Dingell said. “Telehealth worked during COVID and should be available and more widely adopted. The Advancing Access to Telehealth Act ensures that services that people depend on for routine care aren’t taken away.”

The Advancing Access to Telehealth Act permanently allows:

Rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner);

The home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) for all services (rather than for only certain services); and

Audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists to furnish tele-health services.