Congress Extends Telehealth Flexibilities Through 2027
On February 3, Congress passed a government funding package (H.R. 7148) to complete the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process for nearly all federal agencies. The bill provides approximately $117 billion for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), keeping funding for the Department relatively flat compared to FY 2025 and rejecting the deeper cuts to HHS proposed by the President’s budget. In addition to agency appropriations, the measure also extends key health programs, including Medicare telehealth flexibilities.
In response to the Covid-19 public health emergency, Congress enacted several flexibilities related to the provision of Medicare professional services via telehealth, including to allow patients to receive telehealth services wherever they are located in the country. Congress has since linked the extension of these telehealth waivers to the annual appropriations process. Section 6209 (Extension of Certain Telehealth Flexibilities) of the latest government funding bill extends existing Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027.
Stakeholders continue to ask Congress to provide a long-term telehealth fix to ensure stability and provide clarity for patients and providers. The CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 4206/S. 1261) would make the telehealth flexibilities permanent. The legislation continues to gain bipartisan support in Congress. The Senate bill has 71 cosponsors, and the sponsors of the House bill have set a goal to secure 300 cosponsors which would exceed 2/3 of the House of Representatives and position the legislation for a vote to break the cycle of short-term extensions. Currently, 219 representatives have signed on in support of the bill.
