House Bill Extends Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities

Proposed funding package includes 2-year extension of pandemic-era telehealth policies, but faces Senate opposition over DHS funding

Jan. 30, 2026 at 1:07pm

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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a consolidated FY 2026 appropriations bill that includes a provision to extend several key Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027. The bill also extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver program through September 30, 2030. However, the broader funding package faces opposition in the Senate due to a dispute over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding, which is included in the bill. Lawmakers and the White House are working to find a compromise to avoid a partial government shutdown before the January 30, 2026 funding deadline.

Why it matters

The proposed extensions would provide much-needed stability and certainty for healthcare providers and patients who have come to rely on expanded telehealth access during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the broader funding package's fate is uncertain due to the Senate dispute over DHS funding, which threatens to derail the telehealth provisions if a compromise cannot be reached.

The details

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 7148) would extend Medicare telehealth flexibilities such as expanded coverage of virtual visits, allowances for audio-only coverage, waiving of geographic and originating-site restrictions, broader provider eligibility, and continued authority of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs) to serve as distant-site providers. The bill would also require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to create new billing codes to identify certain types of telehealth services. Additionally, the Acute Hospital Care at Home program waiver would be extended through September 30, 2030.

  • The House passed the proposed funding package on January 22, 2026.
  • The Senate is expected to vote on the package before the January 30, 2026 government funding deadline.
  • The Medicare telehealth flexibilities would be extended through December 31, 2027 if the bill is passed.
  • The Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver would be extended through September 30, 2030 under the proposed legislation.

The players

U.S. House of Representatives

The lower chamber of the U.S. Congress that passed the proposed funding package including the Medicare telehealth extensions.

U.S. Senate

The upper chamber of the U.S. Congress that is currently considering the funding package, but faces opposition from Democrats over DHS funding.

President Donald Trump

The President of the United States, who would need to sign the funding package into law for the telehealth extensions to take effect.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

The federal agency that would be required to create new billing codes to identify certain types of telehealth services under the proposed legislation.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer

The Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate who has outlined specific demands related to DHS funding that are threatening to block the broader funding package.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

Lawmakers and the White House are working to find a compromise that would allow the Senate to pass the five remaining spending bills, including the Medicare telehealth extensions, while providing short-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security. This approach would provide additional time to address the contentious immigration enforcement provisions that are currently blocking the broader funding package.

The takeaway

The proposed extensions of Medicare telehealth flexibilities would provide much-needed stability and certainty for healthcare providers and patients, but the fate of these provisions remains uncertain due to the Senate dispute over DHS funding. The ability of Congress and the White House to reach a compromise will determine whether these critical telehealth policies are extended without a lapse in coverage.