Telehealth Modernization Act

This bill keeps and updates Medicare telehealth rules so people can keep seeing their doctors from home. It extends key flexibilities through September 30, 2027, like removing location limits, expanding where a visit can start, letting more types of clinicians offer telehealth, and allowing some audio‑only visits . Community health centers and rural clinics can keep providing telehealth and, in 2026–2027, get paid under their normal clinic payment systems for those visits, with telehealth costs counted as allowable clinic costs. For mental health, the in‑person visit rule is delayed until October 1, 2027, so patients can keep using telehealth without first seeing a clinician in person. Hospice providers may keep using telehealth for the required face‑to‑face check before renewing eligibility through September 30, 2027, and must add a billing modifier when they do .

It also extends hospital‑at‑home options and orders a detailed federal study with a report due by September 30, 2028, to compare safety, quality, and costs with in‑hospital care. To fight fraud, starting January 1, 2028, Medicare can flag and pre‑review certain durable medical equipment claims when the ordering clinician has no prior relationship with the patient, and a report on lab test fraud is due by January 1, 2026. Within a year, the health department must issue guidance to make telehealth work better for people with limited English, including using interpreters, easier instructions, and multi‑language materials and portals. The bill adds flexibility for in‑home cardiac and pulmonary rehab, and lets fully online Diabetes Prevention Programs join Medicare from 2026–2030, with cross‑state claims allowed and no limit on how many times someone can enroll.

• Who is affected: Medicare patients and caregivers; rural and community health clinics; hospice and mental health patients; people with limited English; hospitals using hospital‑at‑home; medical equipment suppliers; Diabetes Prevention Program providers and participants .
• What changes: Telehealth rules extended and expanded; audio‑only allowed; mental health in‑person rule delayed; hospice telehealth allowed with a billing modifier; clinic payment rules clarified; hospital‑at‑home extended with a required study; stronger checks on equipment and lab test fraud; guidance for patients with limited English; more flexible in‑home rehab; online Diabetes Prevention Programs allowed .
• Key dates: Most telehealth flexibilities run through Sept 30, 2027; hospital‑at‑home report due by Sept 30, 2028; fraud report due by Jan 1, 2026; new equipment claim checks start Jan 1, 2028; online Diabetes Prevention Programs allowed 2026–2030 .