Sponsors (5)
The bill preserves and expands Medicare telehealth access for behavioral health—improving access and reducing travel burdens for many beneficiaries—while increasing program costs, creating some administrative uncertainty, and leaving gaps for certain originating sites and situations where in-person care is preferable.
Medicare beneficiaries with mental health conditions and substance use disorders — including those served by rural health clinics (RHCs) and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) — keep and gain access to Medicare-covered telehealth for behavioral health (with retroactive coverage to July 1, 2020) by removing sunsets and broadening originating-site options.
Medicare beneficiaries (especially those in rural areas) and their caregivers save time and money because permitted remote visits reduce travel and associated costs for mental health and substance use disorder care.
Taxpayers and the Medicare program may face higher costs from expanded reimbursable telehealth visits, which could increase fiscal pressure on Medicare.
Reliance on HHS to define who is an 'eligible individual' and which services qualify creates administrative uncertainty for providers and patients about coverage, billing, and compliance.
Expanded telehealth could substitute for needed in-person care for some patients, risking reduced continuity or quality of care when physical exams or procedures are required.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Removes certain geographic and time limits on Medicare telehealth for mental health and SUD care and eliminates a prior April 1, 2025 sunset for RHC/FQHC mental health tele-visits.
Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth and telecommunications technology.
Introduced March 5, 2025 by Kevin Hern · Last progress March 5, 2025
Removes several in-person, geographic, and time-limited restrictions on Medicare telehealth for mental health and substance-use-disorder (SUD) services. It makes certain telehealth flexibilities retroactively applicable to SUD treatment beginning July 1, 2020, continues telehealth access for mental health services beyond the COVID-19 emergency period at many originating sites, and eliminates a prior April 1, 2025 sunset for certain mental health visits delivered by rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers.