By: Jeff Chohen
On December 21, President Biden officially enacted H.R. 10545, known as the “American Relief Act, 2025.” As expected, this legislation provides crucial extensions to existing telehealth flexibilities, ensuring they remain in place until at least March 31, 2025. Key provisions include:
- Eliminating geographic restrictions and broadening originating site eligibility for telehealth services.
- Expanding the categories of healthcare practitioners authorized to deliver telehealth care.
- Continuing telehealth access for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).
- Deferring in-person visit requirements under Medicare for mental health services provided via telehealth or telecommunications technology.
- Permitting audio-only telehealth visits to enhance accessibility.
- Maintaining the option to use telehealth for completing face-to-face encounters prior to recertification.
Additionally, the legislation also aims to sustain payments in certain geographic regions. However, the law does not tackle looming Medicare payment cuts. Earlier versions of the bill included a 2.5% adjustment intended to counteract the cut in the Medicare Conversion Factor finalized in the 2025 physician fee schedule, but the finalized legislation offers no such offset. Any modifications to Medicare payments will require future discussions in 2025.
What This Means for Healthcare Providers
More telehealth! For telehealth practitioners and organizations, the extension ensures continued expansion and flexibility in delivering care across a variety of settings and modalities. This is particularly impactful for rural and underserved areas, where telehealth has played a transformational role in improving access to care. However, unresolved concerns regarding Medicare reimbursements signal uncertainties ahead. Providers may need to brace for potential financial challenges unless measures are introduced in the coming year to address reimbursement rate reductions.
The extension of telehealth provisions underscores the growing recognition of its value in the healthcare continuum while highlighting the need for ongoing policy adaptation to meet the sector’s evolving demands. For professionals deeply connected to telehealth, staying engaged in legislative developments will be critical to navigating these dynamic changes and to keeping the telehealth “door” open.
