Sponsors (38)
Codifies Medicare telehealth flexibilities so cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation can be furnished in the home and directs HHS to set standards to treat the home as a hospital provider-based location.
Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permanently extend certain in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation flexibilities established in response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 28, 2025 by John Joyce · Last progress January 28, 2025
The bill permanently expands telehealth access for Medicare cardiac and pulmonary rehab—improving access and continuity for patients and providers—while increasing program costs, adding billing/compliance complexity, and creating potential clinical-safety trade-offs for higher-risk patients.
Medicare beneficiaries with heart or lung disease can receive cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation at home via telehealth, increasing access to care and convenience.
Hospitals and clinicians can bill for home-based, provider-designated hospital services under Hospital Without Walls–style standards, enabling continuity of care and reducing the need for facility visits.
Medicare beneficiaries and providers will have permanent statutory telehealth flexibilities for cardiac and pulmonary rehab, reducing administrative uncertainty about coverage after the COVID-era waivers.
Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayers may face higher federal spending because expanding telehealth coverage for home-based rehab could increase program utilization and costs.
Medicare beneficiaries with higher clinical risk may receive home-based rehab that is less appropriate than in-person care, potentially reducing opportunities for in-person evaluation and increasing safety risks.
Hospitals and healthcare providers may face billing complexity and compliance risks from rapidly designating patient homes as provider-based locations, increasing administrative burden and audit exposure.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Makes permanent and codifies COVID-era Medicare telehealth flexibilities that let patients receive cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation services in the home by clarifying definitions, waiving certain geographic/originating-site restrictions, and directing HHS to set standards to treat a patient’s home as a hospital provider-based location for those rehab programs.