John James: “I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), my chairwoman, friend, and mentor, for her stellar leadership…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), my chairwoman, friend, and mentor, for her stellar leadership and for giving me a shot. One of the big reasons why I ran for Congress in the first place was to help people, and this bill, with strong bipartisan support, is going to take another step in helping everyday Americans. I rise today to speak about my critical bill, H.R. 7858, the Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act of 2024. At a time when mental health needs are soaring, this bill will revolutionize access to mental health care by ushering transformative changes to Medicare reimbursement policies for mental health services provided for by telehealth. It will modernize healthcare delivery by establishing a new modifier, or code, tailored explicitly for telehealth-delivered mental health services. In layman's terms, in normal people's terms, it is hard out there. It is tough out there, and Americans need and deserve help from the folks that they sent here to represent them. Simply, this bill is a critical step toward realizing the full potential of telehealth in delivering these vital mental health services to Americans who are at their wits end. By introducing a specific modifier for telehealth-based mental health services, we are not only streamlining the billing and reimbursement processes, cutting red tape, but also amplifying access for those in need regardless of their geographic barriers or their economic abilities. Mr.…”