The bill that we have been waiting on with some degree of anxious anticipation has indeed become law. The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2026, otherwise known as H.R. 7148, obtained final passage last week by the U.S. Congress and was subsequently signed by the president. This legislation not only ended a four-day partial government shutdown; it contains important implications for providers of telehealth services. The flexibilities for such services that had expired at the end of last month are now back in play and here to stay—well, for at least a good long while.
The CAA extends most of the telehealth flexibilities, which were first granted during the Covid-19 pandemic, through Dec. 31, 2027. That’s a big deal and a big win for patients and providers alike. The National Law Review does a good job of summarizing these flexibilities. They are as follows:
- Geographic and Originating Site flexibilities: Medicare beneficiaries may continue to receive telehealth services in any location through December 31, 2027.
- Expanded Practitioner Eligibility: Occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists may continue providing Medicare-covered services via telehealth through December 31, 2027.
- Telehealth for FQHCs and RHCs: Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs) may continue providing telehealth services through December 31, 2027, including the provision of mental health visits via telehealth to Medicare beneficiaries without needing to meet annual in-person service requirements.
- Audio-Only Telehealth: Telehealth services can continue to be provided via audio-only communications systems through December 31,2027.
- In-Person Requirement for Mental Health Visits: Medicare patients receiving services for the diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of a mental health disorder via telehealth may continue to do so without having received a Medicare-covered in person item or service through January 1, 2028.
- Telehealth for the Recertification of Hospice Care: Hospice physicians and nurse practitioners may continue having face-to-face encounters to recertify a patient’s eligibility to remain on hospice via telehealth through December 31,2027.
It’s clear that these extensions will provide more continuity and thus more stability for the healthcare industry than it has enjoyed in some time—at least in terms of the virtual visit environment. Since the end of 2024, patients and providers have faced a series of telehealth flexibility extensions and suspensions as Congress grappled with government funding crises. Having now nearly two more years of care flexibility that we can count on is just what the doctor ordered.