Medicare telehealth access rules extended through at least 2027
In committeeH.R. 5081Latest action
Sponsor: Earl L. "Buddy" Carter · Representative · GA
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Telehealth Modernization Act
119th Congress
Topics: Health care
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.
HR 5081 makes expiring Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent through 2027 and extends home hospital care and diabetes prevention programs through 2030.
55-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
HR 5081 makes permanent through at least 2027 several Medicare telehealth rules that were set to expire in 2025, including allowing care from home, phone-only visits, and a broader range of eligible providers. The bill also delays until 2027 a requirement that Medicare mental health patients have an in-person visit before continuing online therapy. Two additional programs are extended through 2030: a home-based hospital care program and online-only participation in the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program.
Who does it affect?
The bill primarily affects Medicare recipients, including Americans 65 and older and people with disabilities who qualify for Medicare. It also affects doctors, nurses, therapists, community health centers, rural health clinics, hospice providers, and online-only healthcare providers who serve Medicare patients.
Why does it matter?
Without this legislation, patients would have faced renewed restrictions on where and how they access telehealth care under Medicare starting in 2025. The bill also introduces new anti-fraud rules for medical equipment and lab test billing and directs the government to issue guidance on serving telehealth patients with limited English proficiency.
AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.
Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedSep 2, 2025
- House committeeYou are here · Sep 2, 2025
- House vote
- Senate
- The president's desk
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.