# Understanding the EDOT Act of 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare and Medicaid made major changes to allow telehealth services—doctor visits by phone or video instead of in-person appointments. This bill requires the federal government to study what actually happened as a result of those changes and report back to Congress about whether they worked well and who benefited.

Specifically, the bill asks the Department of Health and Human Services to collect detailed information about telehealth use during the emergency period. They need to track how many video visits and phone-only visits happened, compare that to in-person visits, and look at whether telehealth helped or hurt different groups of people. The report will break down the data by race, ethnicity, income level, and geographic location to see if some communities had better access to telehealth than others. They'll also examine costs, patient outcomes, and whether telehealth services saved money for the programs.

The bill also requires investigators to look for any fraud or scams involving telehealth during this period and compare that to fraud in regular in-person care. Additionally, they'll examine cybersecurity issues and privacy concerns that came up with telehealth services. The government has to submit an initial report within a year after the emergency ends, then provide a final, updated report by the end of 2025. Before finalizing their findings, they're supposed to get input from patients, doctors, hospitals, and community groups to make sure the report reflects different perspectives and experiences.

Essentially, this bill is about accountability and learning. It ensures that Congress and the public get solid evidence about whether the emergency telehealth changes actually improved healthcare access or if they created new problems for certain populations.

EDOT Act of 2021

Kelly, Robin L.

Evaluating Disparities and Outcomes of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Emergency Act of 2021 or the EDOT Act of 2021 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) to report on the effects of changes that were made during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 with respect to the provision or availability of telehealth services under Medicare and Medicaid. Among other information, the report must include (1) a summary of all services utilized by beneficiaries during the emergency period, including the number of telehealth visits and in-person visits; (2) any changes in utilization compared to prior periods; and (3) demographic characteristics of beneficiaries who utilized telehealth services. The CMS must submit the required reports after the end of the emergency period, as specified.