Sponsors (5)
The bill maintains pandemic-era Medicare flexibilities to protect beneficiary access and ease provider operations during the transition, but increases federal spending risk and reduces budgetary predictability for Medicare.
Medicare beneficiaries will retain access to pandemic-era Medicare payment and enrollment flexibilities after the COVID-19 emergency ends, preserving access to services and continuity of care during the transition.
Hospitals and health systems will be able to continue using specified Medicare flexibilities without an abrupt cutoff tied to March 31, 2025, reducing operational and billing disruption during transition.
Taxpayers and Medicare beneficiaries may face higher federal spending or increased payment rates because extending flexibilities can raise Medicare program costs.
State governments and hospitals will have reduced predictability for future Medicare budgeting and HHS phase-out planning because removing a hard sunset date complicates budget timelines.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Replaces date-limited COVID-era language in Medicare statute so telehealth-from-home flexibilities remain in effect after the emergency period ends.
Introduced February 18, 2025 by Vernon G. Buchanan · Last progress February 18, 2025
Permanently continues certain Medicare telehealth-from-home flexibilities by removing date-limited, COVID-19 emergency language and replacing it with wording tying those flexibilities to the end of the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B). It amends existing Medicare statute language so the telehealth rules that were temporary during the public health emergency remain in effect after that emergency period ends. The change is narrow and technical: it revises two provisions of 42 U.S.C. 1395m(m) to make temporary telehealth authorities apply after the emergency period, rather than expiring on fixed calendar dates. It does not create new programs or appropriate funds, but it affects patients, providers, and Medicare program administration by extending access and related rules beyond the COVID-19 timeframe.