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By Suzanne Blake
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Many Medicare recipients were set to lose their telehealth coverage at the end of this month, but the federal government extended the benefit just weeks before it was scheduled to expire. Newsweek spoke to several experts about what this means for recipients.
In the new federal government spending bill passed last week, Congress included a short-term extension to Medicare telehealth through September 30.
Why It Matters
More than 66 million Americans rely on Medicare for health coverage each year.
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While during the pandemic telehealth became a more popular practice, the funding for Medicare recipients to utilize these services was only scheduled to last until the end of March.
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What To Know
Under Donald Trump's first administration, Medicare telehealth was offered to allow coverage during the coronavirus pandemic, when virtual visits became increasingly common.
During Joe Biden's presidency, Congress and Biden signed off on the American Relief Act 2025, which expanded originating sites for telehealth services and delayed in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services.
That was all set to end in April, but the new spending bill passed by Congress has provided temporary telehealth coverage until the end of September.
For now, telehealth visits will still be possible, and Medicare-certified hospitals will still be able to provide inpatient-level care in patients' homes as well. This will impact rural residents especially, as they often are unable to travel long distances to get to a Medicare-accepting provider.
Patients will also continue to see reimbursement for some audio-only visits, which are important for Americans living without reliable broadband access.
Newsweek reached out to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for comment.
What People Are Saying
Kyle Zebley, the executive director of ATA Action, the advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association, said in a statement: "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. 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."
Kevin Thompson, a finance expert and the founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek: "Telehealth was included in the latest government appropriations bill, which recently passed the Senate. Lawmakers recognized its benefits as many constituents rallied around the service, citing improved healthcare access and positive outcomes during the pandemic. Simply put, legislators listened to the people."
Chris Fong, a Medicare specialist and the CEO of Smile Insurance Group, told Newsweek: "Covid highlighted the success of telehealth for our Medicare members by giving people who have limited in-person access to providers a way to discuss their health concerns. But the short-term extensions/band-aids are not helping these individuals feel secure in their access to medical care and advice. A long-term solution would be to include telehealth as a foundational benefit of Medicare with no sunset date."
Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek: "It was kind of a last-minute save honestly. Congress tucked it into that big spending bill they passed the other day to avoid another government shutdown. This is actually the sixth time they've extended these telehealth flexibilities since the pandemic started, which tells you something about how they're handling this."
"The interesting thing is that despite all the bickering in Washington these days, telehealth is one of those rare issues that both parties actually agree on. Republicans like it because it helps their rural voters, Democrats appreciate the access it provides."
What Happens Next
Because telehealth has been expanded for six months, patients will be able to continue getting care remotely, but there will still need to be a long-term solution once October hits.
"The long-term picture is still really uncertain. It's like they're putting a band-aid on instead of doing the surgery," Ryan said. "Providers are in this weird limbo where they're hesitant to invest in better telehealth technology because they don't know if these rules will stick around."
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