WASHINGTON, D.C. (MPG) – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA-01) applauded the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) decision to extend current flexibilities for telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances for an additional year.

The announcement comes after the lawmakers led a group of 18 House colleagues in urging the Drug Enforcement Administration and Health and Human Services to issue such an extension earlier this year.

“The agencies made the right choice by averting a potential cliff for patients relying on telemedicine for their controlled substance prescriptions,” said the lawmakers. “While we’re relieved that patient care will not be interrupted at the end of this year, the agencies must continue to work towards a permanent framework for telemedicine prescribing that balances safety with patient access to critical medications. We must ensure no one is slipping through the cracks when it comes to the benefits of telehealth.”

A Co-Chair of the Congressional Telehealth Caucus, Congresswoman Matsui is a longtime champion of telehealth and improving access to care. She authored the Telemental Health Expansion Act, which permanently added mental health to the definition of Medicare-covered telehealth services, waived the geographic and originating site requirements for mental health provided through telehealth, and allowed Medicare beneficiaries to access these services at home.

Congresswoman Matsui also introduced the Telemental Health Care Access Act, which would repeal the requirement that Medicare patients be seen in person before receiving virtual behavioral health care.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui has represented the city of Sacramento and its surrounding areas since 2005. She currently serves California’s Seventh Congressional District, nestled between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, which is centered in Sacramento, and includes the communities of Elk Grove, Galt, West Sacramento, Wilton, Rancho Murieta, Vineyard, Isleton, Walnut Grove, Herald, Clay and the California Delta.