Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Extended Through 2027
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, H.R. 7148, that was signed into law on February 3, 2026, includes major healthcare provisions, most notably, a significant extension of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID‑19 Public Health Emergency. The bill aims to maintain expanded access to virtual care for Medicare beneficiaries while Congress works on longer‑term telehealth reforms.
The ruling extends the pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities – including increased provider eligibility, remote care from home, and relaxed site-of-service rules –through December 31, 2027. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are still authorized to provide Medicare telehealth services as distant-site providers.
The bill also extends Medicare coverage for audio-only telehealth visits for non-behavioral and non-mental health services. This extension ensures that important Medicare telehealth policies remain in effect until December 31, 2027. These include expanded coverage for virtual visits, the ability to use audio-only services, elimination of geographic or originating site limits, broader provider participation, continued use of FQHCs and RHCs as distant-site providers, postponed in-person requirements for behavioral health, and permission to use telehealth for hospice recertification visits.
The Act extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program through September 30, 2030. This means Medicare patients can continue receiving hospital-level care at home through a mix of in-person visits and virtual technology.
New Telehealth Billing Modifiers
CMS must create new telehealth billing modifiers by January 1, 2027. These will help Medicare see how telehealth services are delivered; for example, whether a clinician used a telehealth platform owned by another company or whether the service was billed under another provider. For most independent clinicians, this won’t change much beyond adding a few billing steps. Larger health systems, however, may be more affected because they often own telehealth platforms and bill for services provided by supervised staff.
Summary
✔ H.R. 7148 extends critical Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027.
✔ Preserves home-based telehealth access for Medicare beneficiaries.
✔ Removes long-standing geographic restrictions for telehealth services.
✔ Maintains Medicare coverage for audio-only telehealth services.
✔ Continues authorization for RHCs and FQHCs to serve as distant-site telehealth providers.
✔ Extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program through 2030.
Overall, the bill provides regulatory stability and ensures continued access to virtual care for Medicare beneficiaries. H.R. 7148 includes stability for Medicare telehealth services through 2027, preserving broad access to virtual care, maintaining coverage for home-based and audio‑only services, and supporting rural and underserved communities.
