The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has signed onto a national coalition letter urging the Office of Management and Budget and the Drug Enforcement Administration to act immediately to prevent a lapse in federal telemedicine flexibilities that millions of patients rely on to access clinically necessary medications.
The letter, signed by almost 200 health care organizations, expresses concern that the DEA’s temporary telemedicine authorities are set to expire in late December without a finalized long-term policy framework. These flexibilities, which have been in place for nearly five years and have been essential for patient access across specialties, including sleep medicine, allow qualified clinicians to prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine without an initial in-person evaluation, enabling continuity of care for patients who otherwise face delays, geographic barriers or mobility limitations.
The AASM continues to advocate for policies that support patient access to high-quality, timely sleep care. Many sleep disorders require ongoing management that can be effectively supported through telemedicine, especially for rural patients or those with mobility limitations. Ensuring stable federal rules for prescribing controlled medications, such as those sometimes used for insomnia, narcolepsy and other sleep disorders, is essential to preventing care delays and supporting continuity of care.
Questions about this letter or its implications for your practice, please contact the AASM health policy team at coding@aasm.org.
