WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today introduced a package of bills to improve and broaden Louisianians’ access to telehealth services. The proposed legislation would make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors during an emergency or natural disaster. It would also end a regulation that limits access to telehealth services and expand access to virtual mental and behavioral health treatment.

“Telehealth services help Louisiana patients who aren’t always able to make a trip to the doctor. I wrote these bills to support telehealth providers and the Louisianians they care for,” said Kennedy.

Audio-Only Telehealth for Emergencies Act 

The Audio-Only Telehealth for Emergencies Act would make it easier for Louisianians to access health care during an emergency, including natural disasters. The bill would allow physicians delivering care during a public health emergency or a major disaster declaration to receive the same compensation for audio-only telehealth visits as they would receive for in-person appointments.

Text of the Audio-Only Telehealth for Emergencies Act is available here.

Telehealth HSA Act

The Telehealth Health Savings Account (HSA) Act would allow employers to offer high-deductible health plans that include telehealth services without limiting employees’ ability to use health savings accounts. A current IRS regulation stops employees from making or receiving contributions to HSAs if they hold a high-deductible health plan that waives the deductible for telehealth services. This means that employees holding such high-deductible health plans will often need to pay out of pocket for telehealth services.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act temporarily waived this regulation, and the Telehealth HSA Act would make this waiver permanent.

Text of the Telehealth HSA Act is available here.

EASE Behavioral Health Services Act

The Enhance Access to Support Essential (EASE) Behavioral Health Services Act would allow mental and behavioral health professionals providing telehealth services through Medicare and Medicaid to be reimbursed at the same levels as they would for conducting in-person visits. This would allow patients to receive care in the comfort of their own homes and reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment.

Text of the EASE Behavioral Health Services Act is available here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $4,227,583 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster aid grant for Louisiana.

“Hurricane Laura’s landfall impacted the everyday operations of businesses like Beauregard Electric Cooperative, Inc. I’m glad to see this $4.2 million supporting recovery efforts to better serve Louisianians,” said Kennedy. 

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

• $4,227,583 to Beauregard Electric Cooperative, Inc. for management costs related to Hurricane Laura.

Watch video here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) made the case today on the Senate floor for Germany—Europe’s economic leader—to increase its contribution to battling Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Currently, Germany’s spending to help Ukraine, measured by share of GDP, does not fall in the top 10 nations offering financial support to Ukraine.

Key excerpts from Kennedy speech include:

“Germany’s so-called strong support is more lamb than lion.”

“Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom have all outspent Germany by share of gross domestic product. Our neighbors in Canada have outspent Germany, too, both in raw dollars and by share of GDP.  And the same is certainly true of the American people. The American people have spent roughly double—double—what our friends in Germany have spent in Ukraine fighting for freedom, by share of gross domestic product.”

“ . . . Americans are wondering why the United States and Canada have dug deeper to deter Russian aggression than Germany has.”

“Germany is the economic leader of Europe. Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world. But, the fact is . . . that Germany is failing to pull its weight in Ukraine. And if we look back, Mr. President, on the past year, it’s very clear that Germany’s support of Ukraine has been heavy on words and short on action. And I hate to have to say that. Somehow, Germany’s leadership has lost the urgency it had when Putin began his march into Ukraine.”

“For several decades . . . Germany became increasingly reliant on Russia’s energy.  Germany appeared to believe, foolishly—naively, maybe is a better word—that its energy trade with Putin would yield friendship. Instead, it yielded dependency. . . . Putin knew that Germany’s energy dependency would make it a lot easier for him to march into Ukraine, not harder. Everybody knew it.”

“In the wake of Putin’s rapid invasion, Chancellor Scholz made big promises. He called it a turning point in German history. He said defense spending was going to increase to 2%. He said he was going to create an extra military fund valued at $107 billion. He said his military was going to increase by 30,000 women and men by 2025. I regret, Mr. President, that Germany’s urgency seems to have disappeared.

“Military spending has barely nudged above 1.5%, still short of the 2% commitment that Germany made to NATO. Germany did purchase 35 American F-35 fighter jets. You know when they’re going to be ready? 2027. And experts a lot smarter than me doubt Germany will reach its 30,000 promised new troops by the date it said it would. The truth is . . . since the invasion began, Germany has been slow to provide weapons to Ukraine.”   

“Even when offering up so little, the German chancellor demanded that the United States of America do more.”

“Promises to recruit more troops, spend more money, reinvigorate its Bundeswehr—they’re nice, but those are only words. Germany seems to acknowledge that the barbarians are at the gate. . . . So why aren’t our friends in Germany willing to act?”

“In every way, Putin poses a larger threat to Germany than he does to the United States. . . . Yet the United States of America, the people of this country, have outspent Germany seven times in helping our friends in Ukraine.”  

“If Germany wants to be a leader in Europe . . . it needs to lead. That starts with footing the bill for its own defense. . . . It starts with helping Ukraine. We’ve wasted a year, Mr. President. It’s long past time for our friends in Germany to step up and meet the defense promises it made when Putin invaded.”

Video of Kennedy’s remarks is here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in applauding the Senate’s passage of the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2023 to help first responders, police and 9-1-1 personnel cope with traumatic stress.

The legislation would establish mental health programs for the men and women who provide life-saving services and often experience long-term mental health effects as a result of their heroism.

“I’m proud to see that the Fighting PTSD Act passed the Senate. The House must now send this crucial legislation to the president’s desk so that first responders can receive the resources they need to care for their own health while they serve Louisiana communities,” said Kennedy.

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“First responders are humble and heroic members of our community. Their selfless service often places them at physical risk and can also result in serious mental and emotional distress after the fact. I’m glad to see this legislation move forward so that we can provide first responders with the mental health resources they need and deserve,” said Grassley.

Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also cosponsored the bill. 

The full bill text is available here.