Good news: the much-talked-about “telehealth cliff” has officially been postponed.
On February 3, 2026, the President signed H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, extending key Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027. Translation? Your virtual care strategy doesn’t need an emergency landing anytime soon. You’ve got runway—plenty of it.
What’s Staying Put
The law keeps most of the pandemic-era telehealth rules exactly where they are, which means business as usual (the good kind):
- Patients can continue receiving telehealth services from home and other non-facility locations—no sudden return to rigid originating site rules.
- Geographic restrictions remain waived, so urban, suburban, and rural beneficiaries are all still in play.
- Expanded distant-site providers (including PT, OT, SLP, and behavioral health clinicians) can keep delivering telehealth services.
- FQHCs and RHCs remain eligible as distant-site telehealth providers and can continue billing Medicare.
- Audio-only visits stay available for certain covered services when video isn’t an option.
- Behavioral health in-person visit requirements remain paused, helping maintain continuity of care.
Bottom line: no surprise rule reversals in the middle of Q1. Crisis averted.
What’s Changing (Gently)
While telehealth isn’t going anywhere, CMS is starting to sharpen its pencils:
- Billing structures may evolve, especially for services delivered through third-party telehealth platforms. New codes or modifiers could be coming.
- Documentation and billing guidance will be refined to support program integrity and better data tracking.
- Other virtual-care initiatives were also extended, signaling that hybrid care models are here to stay—just with a little more structure.
Telehealth is still in the game. Expect a more detailed playbook.
Action Items for Your Practice
Before you get too comfortable, now’s a smart time to do a quick operational tune-up:
- Update telehealth consent forms, financial policies, and website language to reflect coverage through December 31, 2027.
- Confirm all eligible clinicians (including therapy and behavioral health providers) are properly enrolled and configured for telehealth billing.
- Review audio-only visits to ensure correct coding, time documentation, and medical necessity.
- Identify where third-party telehealth platforms are used so you’re ready to adopt new modifiers or codes when CMS releases guidance.
- Keep an eye on CMS and MAC updates for 2026–2027 telehealth education and billing rules.
Think of this as preventive maintenance—not a full system overhaul.
Looking Ahead
This two-year extension is a win for patient access and operational stability, but let’s be clear: it’s not permanent. Advocacy groups are already lobbying to lock in telehealth flexibilities long-term.
For now, telehealth remains in your starting lineup—home-based visits, audio-only care, and expanded provider types included—through the end of 2027. Just keep one eye on Washington. When the next policy two-minute drill starts, clean data, tight compliance, and solid outcomes will matter more than ever.
If you’d like support reviewing your telehealth workflows, coding, or policies, our team is ready to jump in and help keep everything running smoothly—no flag on the play.
