S3834

The Expanded Telehealth Access Act (S.3834) directly expands the types of healthcare practitioners who can provide telehealth services under Medicare. This is not a temporary measure; it permanently includes audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and their assistants. This legislative action immediately increases the scope of reimbursable telehealth services, opening new revenue channels for companies facilitating these services and for the practitioners themselves. The bill has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance, indicating it is past initial introduction and is now in the committee review stage. The money trail for this bill is straightforward: Medicare reimbursement. Companies that provide telehealth platforms and services stand to gain as more types of practitioners become eligible for Medicare telehealth payments. This expands the customer base for telehealth technology and service providers. Additionally, diagnostic companies that support these specialized therapies, such as those providing audiology or speech pathology tools, will see increased demand as these services become more accessible via telehealth. The bill does not appropriate new funds but rather expands the eligibility for existing Medicare reimbursement mechanisms. Historically, expansions of Medicare telehealth coverage have driven significant growth in the telehealth sector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary waivers expanded telehealth access, leading to a surge in utilization. For example, in 2020, telehealth utilization for Medicare beneficiaries increased dramatically, with companies like Teladoc Health ($TDOC) reporting substantial revenue growth. While not a direct legislative comparison, the temporary expansion demonstrated the market's responsiveness to increased telehealth access. This permanent expansion solidifies the market gains for telehealth providers. When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized permanent telehealth expansions for mental health services in late 2021, companies like Amwell ($AMWL) saw increased investor interest due to the expanded addressable market. Specific winners include telehealth platform providers such as Teladoc Health ($TDOC) and Amwell ($AMWL), which will see an expanded pool of eligible providers utilizing their services. Companies specializing in remote patient monitoring or diagnostic tools for audiology and speech pathology, such as OMH ($OMH) (parent company of Oticon Medical), will also benefit from increased demand for their products as these services become more widely available via telehealth. Additionally, large diagnostic companies like LabCorp ($LH) and Quest Diagnostics ($DGX) could see indirect benefits if these expanded telehealth services lead to increased referrals for specialized testing. Losers are not directly identified, but traditional in-person service providers who do not adapt to telehealth may experience a shift in patient volume. What happens next is the bill's consideration by the Committee on Finance. Given Senator Daines, a Republican, is the sponsor and there is bipartisan support for telehealth expansion, the bill has a clear path forward. If it passes committee, it will move to a floor vote in the Senate. The timeline for this process is typically several months, but the permanent nature of the expansion, if passed, ensures long-term market impact.