(WNY News Now) – With over 300,000 seniors in Western New York at risk of losing critical telehealth access, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls on Congress to act before December 31st and protect Medicare’s telehealth services, particularly for rural communities.
Standing at Olean General Hospital, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer launched his push to protect Medicare’s telehealth program, which could expire in just two months without Congressional action.
Schumer said it is critical we avoid the upcoming telehealth cliff for Western NY seniors, which is especially important to rural areas like Cattaraugus County, to maintain this vital lifeline for accessible healthcare.
“Telehealth services are essential in places like Cattaraugus County; it is a lifeline for our rural areas and seniors who can’t easily travel to the doctor to get the healthcare they need and we can’t let it expire. That’s why I’m launching a push to avoid the telehealth cliff and save this lifeline for tens of thousands of seniors in Western NY,” said Senator Schumer. “We saw telehealth surge in use during the pandemic, and we should make sure that access to your doctor is as easy as picking up your phone. I was proud to help Medicare expand telehealth services during the pandemic, but we need to act quickly to preserve this program and ensure this lifeline isn’t cut off for our seniors come 2025.”
“Whether you are in Buffalo or Salamanca, telehealth helps improve accessibility, affordability and makes our hospitals stronger by reducing wait times and making sure patients can get the care they need, and we have seen that right here in Olean. It makes it so patients can receive timely care, even when they can’t physically make it to the doctor’s office,” added Schumer.
Schumer explained that during the pandemic, the federal government declared a public health emergency that gave the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) flexibility to reimburse patients for expenses related to telehealth services and allowed providers to deliver audio-only health care services.
Schumer added, “This helped thousands of seniors in rural areas across Upstate NY when the closest doctor is hours away access critical health care services. Telehealth is one of the biggest tools for supporting rural Upstate communities that face shortages of doctors. Especially for seniors who can have difficulty going to a doctor’s office due to mobility challenges, telehealth lets people get routine care without having to worry about how to get to the doctor’s office.”
When the public health emergency officially ended last year, Schumer led efforts to pass legislation to extend those flexibilities that allowed CMS to cover telehealth appointments. However, that legislative authority will expire on December 31st, 2024 without Congressional action. This means that seniors could lose coverage for telehealth appointments, doctors could no longer provide audio-only telehealth services, and fewer providers will be able to receive reimbursement for telehealth services.
Schumer is now pushing to include an extension in the end of year legislation and try to make telehealth services a permanent and accessible option for all on Medicare.
“We believe that the continued expansion of proven telehealth services will improve vital health care access, specifically for high-risk and vulnerable patients, while reducing costs on many overburdened hospitals and health care systems. This is especially true in rural communities. The previous expansion of Medicare services under the CARES Act has shown that hospitals can successfully use a wider breadth of telehealth services—regardless of patient geography—to offer quality patient care to more patients while reducing costs. We are grateful that Senator Schumer continues to lead the charge to help us improve access to care for both patients and providers,” said Dr. Michael Mineo, Chief Medical Officer at Kaleida Health.
Schumer said that it is important for Congress to extend these flexibilities for the approximately 20,000 seniors in Cattaraugus County and 300,000+ seniors across Western NY with Medicare who will lose access to telehealth services. A county-by-county breakdown can be found below:
Telehealth has become an increasingly important service at Olean General Hospital, particularly in the emergency room (ER), where it has provided critical support for both patients and healthcare providers. From 2020 to 2024, the hospital has seen a steady use of telehealth in the ER, with hundreds of telehealth visits providing services for patients during times of high demand or when in-person consultations are not immediately possible. Olean General Hospital said this has helped them manage patient flow more effectively, reduce the strain on hospital resources, and improve the overall efficiency of emergency care.
“Telehealth services have quickly become indispensable as tools to provide services for the elderly, rural individuals, and those who may not be able to access healthcare in person,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Losing this critical service would cut off healthcare for a large segment of the population. I thank Senator Schumer for bringing this issue to the forefront and working to protect Americans’ healthcare.”
“Telehealth is transforming healthcare access for residents in Cattaraugus County, especially for our senior population,” said Kevin D. Watkins, MD, Public Health Director, Cattaraugus County Health Department.“With nearly 21% of our residents aged 65 and older, and many of them living in remote areas, telehealth is an essential service that provides convenient, timely care. For our seniors, who often face transportation challenges and greater health needs, telehealth offers a safe and effective way to manage chronic conditions and access follow-up care without the strain of long travel. Despite broadband gaps in some areas, telehealth is making a critical difference in the quality of life for our aging community.”