Medicare Telehealth Coverage Nears Two-Year Renewal in Congress

The House passed legislation to extend Medicare telehealth reimbursements through Dec. 31, 2027, and the bill is now headed to the Senate where passage is expected.

Congress is close to authorizing a two-year renewal of Medicare telehealth services for older adults. The U.S. House passed legislation that would extend telehealth reimbursements for providers through Dec. 31, 2027. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate, where passage is expected. Expanded telehealth payments first began during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and have been used to enable clinicians to provide virtual visits to Medicare beneficiaries. Key facts: - The House passed a bill extending Medicare telehealth reimbursements through Dec. 31, 2027. - The measure is headed to the U.S. Senate and passage is expected. - The extension allows providers to be paid for telehealth services delivered in any location, including a patient’s home. - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began temporarily paying clinicians for Medicare telehealth services on March 6, 2020. - ATA Action’s advocacy council member companies include Amazon, Hims & Hers, Lifepoint Health, Teladoc Health, and Circle Medical. - The American Medical Association said the expiration of Medicare telehealth reimbursement during last year’s government shutdown reduced access, citing a Brown University review that reported a 24% national drop in fee-for-service telemedicine visits during the first 17 days. Summary: The extension would maintain pandemic-era telehealth payment policies that expanded virtual care options for Medicare beneficiaries and allowed care to be delivered in patients’ homes. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration, with passage expected.