Press Releases
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The Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law (CTeL), a non-profit policy research institute dedicated to advancing digital health, has formally submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the CY2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule.
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The Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law (CTeL) is proud to announce that Executive Director Christa Natoli has been awarded the distinguished "Friend of Nursing Award" by the Nightingale Education Group at the annual Flame Forward Conference, held this week in Salt Lake City, Utah. The award was presented during the closing gala on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
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The Center for Telehealth and eHealth Law (CTeL) is set to host its fall Digital Health Tech and AI Showcase on September 23 from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the Rayburn Foyer on Capitol Hill. This year's event carries a heightened sense of urgency as it seeks to directly connect the innovators shaping the future of healthcare with the policymakers responsible for its legal framework.
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““At the moment, we expect that any Medicaid cuts/Medicare sequestration would impact digital health programs like AHCAH by reducing money available to hospitals to make investments in digital health tech/infrastructure,” Lydia Homovich, policy analyst for the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law, told Inside Health Policy.”
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The Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law (CTeL), a leading authority in digital health policy, is taking decisive action to shape the future of telemedicine and artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Through a series of high-impact policy recommendations, CTeL is ensuring that federal regulations support patient access, provider flexibility, and responsible innovation. With its latest comment letters to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Administration's AI Action Plan, CTeL has cemented its role as a trusted voice in health policy. The organization's advocacy focuses on protecting telehealth prescribing rights, fostering AI transparency, and ensuring that regulatory measures reflect the realities of modern healthcare delivery.
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WASHINGTON - March 11, 2025 - PRLog -- As the continuing resolution deadline looms, policymakers, healthcare leaders, and technology innovators will converge on Capitol Hill for the 2025 Digital Health, Tech & AI Showcase, hosted by the Center for Telehealth & e-Health Law (CTeL). The event will take place March 12, 2025, from 12:00 to 3:00 PM at the Rayburn Foyer, providing a critical platform for demonstrating how artificial intelligence and telehealth are transforming patient care.
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WASHINGTON - Jan. 24, 2025 - PRLog -- As the 119th Congress begins its work, the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law (CTeL) is calling on lawmakers to prioritize telehealth expansion in the upcoming reconciliation bill. This legislative moment represents a pivotal opportunity to safeguard Medicare telehealth access and address cost challenges, including the growing issue of facility fees. "Telehealth is no longer a temporary pandemic solution—it's a vital part of our healthcare system," said Christa Natoli, Executive Director of CTeL. "Congress has a chance to protect and expand these services to ensure equitable care for millions of Americans, especially those in rural and underserved communities." In its recent comment letter to congressional leaders, CTeL highlighted the importance of the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act. This legislation proposes extending Public Health Emergency (PHE) telehealth waivers through 2026. These waivers removed outdated geographic site restrictions, expanded practitioner eligibility, and enabled federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs) to provide telehealth services.
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The Center for Telehealth & e-Health Law (CTeL) has announced new leadership for its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Blue Ribbon Collaborative, a key initiative supporting healthcare organizations in navigating the clinical and legal implications of AI. The Collaborative, which brings together experts from diverse disciplines, serves as an independent resource to aid healthcare entities in integrating AI effectively and responsibly into clinical practice, adhering to rigorous ethical and regulatory standards.
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WASHINGTON - Nov. 13, 2024 - PRLog -- The Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law (CTeL) and The Teledentists have launched an innovative pilot program to tackle the high volume of non-emergency dental visits in hospital emergency departments (EDs); by introducing tele-dentistry kiosks to provide virtual access to licensed dentists, addressing the estimated $1.6 billion spent annually on dental-related ED visits in the U.S.
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In response to this impending crisis, the Center for Telehealth & e-Health Law (CTeL) and other healthcare organizations have called on Congress to act, sending a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The message is clear: without legislative intervention, millions of patients could lose access to essential medications.
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The Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law (CTeL) has taken a proactive step in advocating for improved telehealth access by issuing a letter to key organizations, including the National Governors Association (NGA), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), and various State Medical Associations. The letter urges these organizations to support and advance telehealth policies modeled after the Washington State Medical Commission’s Uniform Telehealth Act (SB 5481), which was enacted in June 2024.
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In a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law (CTeL) joined [17] organizations in expressing concern over the impending expiration of waivers allowing for the telemedicine prescribing of controlled medications without an in-person visit.
CTeL is concerned that the DEA is likely planning to allow these waivers, initially promulgated in 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, to expire without public notice on December 31, 2024. To mitigate the spread of misinformation, CTeL has so far learned that:
The rules drafted by the DEA were stalled following opposition by the Department of Health and Human Services, based on concerns over the restrictiveness of the new rules.
The provisions contained in the draft rule are most restrictive specifically for Schedule II medications, such as a 50/50 in-person/virtual requirement and a required 50-state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) check before issuing a prescription.
DEA is still leaving the proposed rule on the Federal Register, but there is no indication that the rule will actually be issued and published. DEA is required to issue a proposed rule but is not required to do so before December 31, 2024.
The Biden Administration believes that this policy should come from the DEA.
The letter describes the wide-ranging and catastrophic effects that the Administration’s policy would have. “There is no clinical justification for requiring an in-person visit to prescribe controlled substances; this requirement often results in delayed treatment, increased travel burdens, and additional financial costs for patients. This is particularly concerning for cancer patients, those with chronic pain, mental health problems, or substance use disorders, those in the LGBTQ+ community, and the millions of others who require timely and ongoing access to medication,” the letter writes. The organizations signing the letter called on the DEA to:
Issue an immediate extension of current telemedicine prescribing waivers; and,
Begin the process of issuing a rule paving the way for a permanent extension of prescribing authority.
CTeL is encouraging the collective voice of the telehealth community through their sign-on letter addressing concerns of the expiring waivers. CTeL is encouraging additional action beyond this letter to involve state hospital associations and encourage communication with the administration about why this policy will rollback decades of telehealth progress and advancements. To join their efforts, sign the letter to Assistant Administrator Thomas Prevoznik today.
CTeL In the News…
Decision Health: PartBNews: “After DEA floats telehealth prescribing rule, experts say it needs work” (subscription required)
The proposed rule, which was published Jan. 17, 2025, represents the agency’s second pass at a new telehealth policy that will apply to prescriptions for controlled substances such as methylphenidate, which is used to treat attention deficit disorders, or benzodiazepines (PBN 3/13/23). The agency introduced a proposed telehealth rule in 2023, which set a record with more than 35,000 comments, observes Lydia Homovich, a policy analyst for The Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law (CTeL) in Washington, D.C. The DEA withdrew that rule in response to those comments, which were largely negative (PBN 5/18/23).
“They’re trying to find a way to balance both their needs as an agency primarily concerned with regulating and controlling the proliferation of controlled substances along with trying to ensure access to care,” Homovich explains.
In response to the launch of the Congressional Digital Health Coalition:
“CTeL is a proud supporter of the Digital Health Caucus and works to actively promote the growth of innovative technologies with a commitment to fostering safe practices for patient access and well-being. We understand the transformative power of AI in our healthcare system and settings, we are committed to collaborating with Congress and digital health-focused organizations to propel AI and the future growth of digital health,” said Christa Natoli, Executive Director of CTeL.
Inside Health Policy:
“Christa Natoli, executive director of the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law, similarly told IHP their group is looking to release new research in the first quarter of this year on telehealth cost savings and present the findings to CBO. A 2021 CTeL analysis found telehealth services saved Medicare over $33 million in Florida among patients with neoplasms between March and September 2020”
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