Blog

Here’s how YOU can prevent this setback!

Pain Specialists of Greater Chicago has drafted up the following letter to warn of upcoming events. We have until April 1st, 2025 (this is little over 1 MONTH away!) to be heard, otherwise these detrimental changes are sure to degrade the telemedicine experience.

If you are interested in voicing your opinion, please copy the below letter (feel free to add personal touches and stories, to remind them who they will be hurting with the changes), and send to your Illinois representatives. We have listed some here:

Senator Richard J. Durbin: correspondence_reply@durbin.senate.gov

Zoleiry Hernandez (legislative asst. for Chuy Garcia): zoleiry.hernandez@mail.house.gov

Representative Sean Casten: (Fill out form here)

Senator Tammy Duckworth: (Fill out form here)

Thank you for your time and assistance.

We want to bring to your attention critical issues affecting patients across the United States, including those covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and commercial insurers.

The Medicare Final Rule has significantly changed the provision of telehealth services. Starting April 1, 2025, most telehealth services will require patients to be physically present in an office or medical facility located in a rural area. This restriction excludes patients in non-rural areas from accessing telehealth services altogether. Even for those in rural regions, traveling to a designated facility can be extremely difficult, undermining one of telehealth’s primary benefits—providing care from the patient’s home. These changes will impose substantial transportation costs, create burdens for elderly patients who cannot drive, and disrupt the working population that relies on telehealth for accessible care. Currently, approximately 20% of patients depend on telehealth services.

Furthermore, if this rule remains in place, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and commercial insurers are expected to adopt similar policies, likely with reduced reimbursements. This will effectively dismantle telehealth services, severely limiting patient access to essential health services.

We urgently request your assistance in advocating for CMS to reverse this rule and reinstate the previous telehealth policies until Congress enacts a new exemption, as was proposed in prior legislation that did not pass. At the very least, we request an extension through the end of 2025 to allow for further public comment and review.

Thank you again for your support. This issue is crucial for millions of patients across the country, and we hope you will take action to help preserve access to these vital services. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you,

Telemedicine user at Pain Specialists of Greater Chicago