​The American Telehealth Association (ATA) is committed to advancing telehealth services nationwide, giving everyone access to safe and affordable health care. With the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in telehealth, ATA published its AI principles. These will guide telehealth providers, system developers, and regulators on how to deploy or support the deployment of AI in health care in a trustworthy way, optimizing patient safety and treatment outcomes.

ATA grouped its AI principles by component:

1. Accountability and engagement. AI can streamline work and should be integrated into clinical decision-making. However, providers must adhere to applicable standards of care and even institute accountability mechanisms for positive overall health outcomes.

2. Transparency. Telehealth providers should disclose to patients how AI systems process, share, and store patient data.

3. Safeguards against bias. Telehealth providers should publicly provide evidence showing that their AI-powered systems are free from bias. They should further develop and implement policies to promote exposure and correction of bias in these systems.

4. Workforce education. To fully realize the power of AI, healthcare learning institutions should educate their students on the importance of integrating AI into healthcare delivery. Professional workforce development programs should also include AI training.

5. Regulatory guardrails. Federal and state policymakers should enact unified regulations governing the integration and use of AI in healthcare. This will ensure uniform compliance by AI system developers, telehealth providers, and healthcare researchers. The laws should also align with international healthcare standards and be risk-based, not to stifle innovation unjustly.

​On February 29, 2024, President Joe Biden declared the month of March as Red Cross Month, continuing a tradition that spans 80 years. This tradition originated in March 1943, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the first proclamation officially designating March as Red Cross Month. This occurred during the tumultuous era of World War II, with the aim of rallying Americans to generously support the 1943 War Fund Drive, an initiative led by the Red Cross to aid soldiers on the battlefield and their families back home.

In echoing the actions of his predecessors, President Biden called upon the nation to honor the American Red Cross throughout March 2024 for its unwavering dedication to humanitarian service, both domestically and internationally. He expressed gratitude to all the staff and volunteers of the American Red Cross for their selfless commitment to their noble mission.

The American Red Cross, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance to victims of disasters, military personnel, and their families, among others. The organization also provides about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply. To fulfill its mission, the American Red Cross relies heavily on volunteers and the support of the American public to fund its diverse array of initiatives.

In a May 2024 press release, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) announced that its affiliate organization, ATA Action, supports the House Ways and Means Committee’s proactive approach to telehealth. The ATA press release reported that support was for the House Ways and Means Committee extending telehealth for two years.

The extension allows many Medicare telehealth flexibilities to last until 2026. The provisions that ATA Action was particularly supportive of include allowing Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to continue providing telehealth services. It also allows for expanding the list of Medicare providers to physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists, repealing the tele-mental health in-person criteria, and saving the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program until the 2029 calendar year, among other provisions.

According to the May 2024 ATA press release, the extension demonstrates the House Ways and Means Committee’s commitment to telehealth care. Kyle Zebley, Senior Vice President, Public Policy at the ATA and Executive Director for ATA Action, stated that the ATA would like these provisions to be permanent. She, however, added that the ATA applauded the two-year extension because it signals that the government’s bipartisan supporters will not leave Americans without access to quality, safe healthcare options. Further, the organization hopes the House Ways and Means Committee’s commitment will catalyze Congress to enact legislation.

ATA Action is a group that raises awareness of how telehealth can transform healthcare. For more information on this extension or ATA Action, please visit www.americantelemed.org/about-us/.