Recent federal action brings welcome stability to telehealth services for Medicare providers and patients. Congress has formally extended key Medicare telehealth waivers through December 31, 2027, ensuring continuity after a brief lapse earlier this year.

For practices that rely on telehealth—particularly in primary care, behavioral health, rural health, and safety‑net settings—this extension reduces near‑term uncertainty and allows for more confident planning.

Stay Informed on Telehealth Policy

Ongoing telehealth policy changes can be complex and fast‑moving. The Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is a trusted national resource that tracks federal and state telehealth developments. Practices can receive timely updates by signing up for CCHP newsletters at
Center for Connected Health Policy 

Medicare Telehealth Waivers Extended Through 2027

As an update to last week’s developments, the Medicare telehealth waivers that expired on January 30, 2026 have now been formally extended. Congress passed H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, and the bill was signed into law last week. Importantly, the legislation retroactively covers the brief lapse period, restoring continuity to Medicare telehealth coverage.

This law extends key Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027, preventing a return to permanent, pre‑pandemic Medicare telehealth policy. These waivers have been in place since 2020, when the COVID‑19 public health emergency began, and have been extended multiple times—often for short periods. This nearly two‑year extension provides greater stability for both providers and patients who rely on telehealth services.

Telehealth Waivers That Are Now Extended

Under the new legislation, the following Medicare telehealth waivers remain in effect through the end of 2027:

• Waiver of location requirements, including both geographic restrictions and originating site rules
• Expanded list of eligible telehealth providers
• Continued eligibility of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) as Medicare telehealth providers
• Delay of the prior in‑person visit requirement for mental health services when certain permanent telehealth policy requirements are not met
• Delay of the in‑person visit requirement for mental health services delivered via telecommunications technology for FQHCs and RHCs
• Continued allowance of audio‑only telehealth services
• Continued use of telehealth to conduct face‑to‑face encounters for hospice recertification

In addition, the Acute Hospital Care at Home Initiative has been extended through September 30, 2030, allowing participating hospitals to continue providing hospital‑level care in patients’ homes.

Additional Telehealth Provisions in the Law

The legislation also includes several forward‑looking telehealth provisions that practices should be aware of:

• CMS is required to establish billing modifiers by 2027 to identify telehealth services delivered through third‑party virtual platforms and services billed “incident to” another professional service.
• Through calendar year 2027, hospitals may furnish and bill Medicare for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services delivered to hospital outpatients in their homes via live video.
• The Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance within one year on best practices for delivering telehealth services to patients with limited English proficiency.
• CMS is required to educate Medicare clinicians by January 1, 2028 on screening for medication‑induced movement disorders in at‑risk patients, including best practices for telehealth screening and how these services should be reflected in billing.

CMS Telehealth Guidance Updates

Following enactment of this legislation, CMS has updated its Telehealth FAQ for Calendar Year 2026 to reflect the restored flexibilities and new expiration dates.

The CMS Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Guidance, most recently revised in December 2025, remains a primary reference source. However, it has not yet been fully updated to reflect the most recent legislative changes. Some elements—such as references to an in‑person mental health visit within six months—will require revision, as that requirement is now waived through the end of 2027.

At the same time, several telehealth policy changes finalized under the CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and reflected in the December 2025 MLN guidance remain in effect, as they were not addressed in H.R. 7148.

Telehealth Policies That Continue to Apply

Key provisions from the existing MLN guidance that remain unchanged include:

• Permanent addition of new services to the Medicare Telehealth Services List, eliminating the former “provisional” versus “permanent” distinction
• Removal of frequency limitations for subsequent inpatient visits, subsequent nursing facility visits, and critical care consultations
• Allowance for teaching and supervising physicians to meet supervision requirements through virtual presence in appropriate clinical situations
• Clarification of enrollment and billing rules for clinicians furnishing telehealth services from their homes, including options to suppress home address information in PECOS for privacy
• Addition of new CPT and HCPCS codes to the Medicare Telehealth Services List, including codes for multiple‑family group psychotherapy, group behavioral counseling for obesity, certain infectious‑disease add‑on services, and auditory integrated sound processors

The MLN guidance also continues to reflect payment for telehealth services furnished by FQHCs and RHCs through December 31, 2026. Because the broader waivers have now been extended through 2027, FQHCs and RHCs remain eligible under the general waiver authority rather than relying on a more limited carve‑out.

DEA Extends Telehealth Prescribing Waiver Through 2026

Separately, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has extended the telehealth prescribing waiver for controlled substances through December 31, 2026. This extension allows prescribing without a prior in‑person visit or meeting a statutory exception and represents a clean, one‑year continuation with no new requirements.

This policy continues to suspend the initial in‑person visit requirement under the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008. The DEA’s rules apply nationwide and are separate from state requirements and Medicare reimbursement rules. Longer‑term federal prescribing policy remains unresolved, and additional changes may emerge.

How Northwest AHEC Can Help

Your Northwest AHEC Practice Support Team is here to help practices interpret telehealth policy changes and understand how they affect workflows, billing, and patient access. We encourage practices to stay informed through trusted resources like CCHP and to reach out with questions.