American Telemedicine Association Launches Trade Organization

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 25, 2022)—The American Telemedicine Association (ATA), the premier organization working to accelerate the adoption of telehealth, has launched ATA Action, a new affiliated trade organization focused on ensuring individuals have permanent access to telehealth services across the care continuum. ATA Action will work to support the enactment of state and federal telehealth coverage and appropriate payment policies to secure telehealth access for all Americans, including those in rural and underserved communities. The ATA also announced today that Kyle Zebley, vice president, public policy, will also serve as the executive director of ATA Action.

“Now is the time for policymakers to act on telehealth. The ATA is pulling out all the stops to ensure that the policy gains we’ve made over the past two years do not go away, reverting us back to an out-of-date care delivery system that leaves millions of vulnerable patients out in the cold,” said Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the ATA. “As we make further gains this year, we also understand that new challenges will arise that will require our continued public policy efforts. ATA Action builds on the significant momentum and widespread support for telehealth, leveraging an even stronger voice and more significant presence in Washington and in state capitals across the country.”

ATA Action follows the ATA’s well-established, carefully defined Policy Principles that support the appropriate use of technology to reimagine care to ensure all people receive care where and when they need it. In the short term, ATA Action is working to make certain that the temporary flexibilities that were put in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency extend at least through 2023, while simultaneously working to make policies permanent.

“This is an important step forward in our march to turn policy into law that enables access to telehealth and gives providers and patients certainty in knowing that virtual care will remain an important component of care delivery for the future,” added Kyle Zebley. “Over the past two-plus years, telehealth has proven to be a lifeline to patients with limited or no access to necessary care. We will continue to work closely with our members, telehealth policy champions and other stakeholders to wage an even stronger campaign to avoid the looming ‘telehealth cliff.’ ATA Action will continue to add more members in the coming year, and we welcome interested organizations who wish to join our efforts.”

ATA Action Founding Advocacy Council Members currently include:

• Babylon
• Best Buy Health
• Bicycle Health
• Circle Medical
• FOLX
• Hone Health
• LifePoint Health
• Philips

Additional Founding Members include:

• 1-800 Contacts
• Doximity
• HCA Healthcare
• Hims & Hers
• Intermountain Healthcare
• One Medical
• Ophelia
• Prescribery
• Ro
• Teladoc Health
• Walmart
• Ziegler

ATA Action recognizes that telehealth and virtual care have the potential to transform the healthcare delivery system by improving patient outcomes, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of care, addressing health disparities, and reducing costs. ATA Action is a registered 501c6 company and an affiliated trade organization of the ATA.

Visit ataaction.org for more information.