Congress extends telehealth flexibilities: 5 notes

Congress has passed a federal spending bill that extends telehealth provisions through Sept. 30, 2025.

Passed on March 15, the bill extends key telehealth provisions initially expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and introduces additional measures to broaden access to virtual care under Medicare.

Here are five key telehealth-related elements of the bill:

1. The bill removes geographic and originating site restrictions, allowing patients to receive telehealth services from various locations, including their homes, regardless of where they live.
   
   
2. It expands the range of healthcare practitioners authorized to provide telehealth services.
   
   
3. Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics will remain eligible to furnish telehealth services.
   
   
4. The legislation delays the implementation of in-person visit requirements for mental health services delivered via telehealth.
   
   
5. The bill maintains the authorization of audio-only telehealth services and extends the use of telehealth for hospice care recertification.

"With this vote last night, Congress has prevented millions of Americans from being cut off from essential healthcare services, ensuring that our seniors, children and families can continue to access telehealth for another six months," Kyle Zebley, executive director of ATA Action, said in a March 15 news release. "We have avoided a shutdown for telehealth services. This is a big victory for telehealth and a huge relief for patients and clinicians in every state and region of the United States, especially those in underserved communities."

The bill also extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home program through September, allowing Medicare-certified hospitals to continue providing inpatient-level care in patients' homes.