THOMPSON, BALDERSON, MATSUI LEAD BIPARTISAN LETTER CALLING ON CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP TO EXTEND TELEHEALTH ACCESS FOR SENIORS

Washington, D.C. - Friday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12), and Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-07) led a bipartisan coalition of 70 Members of Congress to urge House and Senate leadership to extend telehealth coverage benefits so that all Medicare beneficiaries retain access to these services. Without an extension by today, September 30th, seniors on Medicare will lose access to critical telehealth services.

"Expanded Medicare coverage for telehealth services is set to expire on September 30, 2025. As you work toward an appropriations package, we urge an inclusion of an extension of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities for as long as possible to ensure that all Medicare beneficiaries do not lose access to these critical services," wrote the lawmakers.

"Telehealth provides essential access to care and improves outcomes, including reduced emergency department utilization and improved medication adherence. Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access to telehealth services and are satisfied with the care they receive. While there is overwhelming support for Congress to enact permanent telehealth legislation, we must provide patients and clinicians with long-term certainty to support continued investment in technology and clinical models to meet the evolving health care needs of Medicare beneficiaries," they continued.

The Members of Congress who signed the letter include Representatives Mike Thompson, Troy Balderson, Doris Matsui, Gabe Amo, Becca Balint, Nanette Barragán, Ami Bera, Jack Bergman, Sanford Bishop, Julia Brownley, Nikki Budzinski, Salud Carbajal, André Carson, Sean Casten, Emmanuel Cleaver, Herbert Conaway, Danny Davis, Donald Davis, Madeleine Dean, Diana DeGette, Suzan DelBene, Chris Deluzio, Debbie Dingell, Sarah Elfreth, Veronica Escobar, Bill Foster, John Garamendi, Jesús "Chuy" García, Robert Garcia, Jared Golden, Maggie Goodlander, Josh Gottheimer, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chrissy Houlahan, Jonathan Jackson, Marcy Kaptur, Robin Kelly, Timothy Kennedy, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Greg Landsman, Susie Lee, Teresa Leger Fernández, Ted Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, Stephen Lynch, Jennifer McClellan, James McGovern, Frank Mrvan, Kevin Mullin, Johnny Olszewski, Jimmy Panetta, Chris Pappas, August Pfluger, Nellie Pou, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Linda Sánchez, Jan Schakowsky, Hillary Scholten, Greg Stanton, Haley Stevens, Suhas Subramanyam, Mark Takano, Shri Thanedar, Bennie Thompson, Jill Tokuda, Paul Tonko, Ritchie Torres, and George Whitesides.

The text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Majority Leader Thune, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Johnson, and Minority Leader Jeffries:

Expanded Medicare coverage for telehealth services is set to expire on September 30, 2025. As you work toward an appropriations package, we urge an inclusion of an extension of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities for as long as possible to ensure that all Medicare beneficiaries do not lose access to these critical services.

Telehealth plays a critical role in health care delivery - a fact that Congress has recognized by expanding coverage during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Most recently, in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Congress enacted a six-month extension of Medicare telehealth services coverage. Committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives had previously recognized the need to protect patients' access to telehealth services by voting to advance an additional two-year extension on a bipartisan, unanimous basis.

As you consider next steps, we urge you to prioritize provisions that:

• Permanently remove geographic restrictions on telehealth services and allow the home and other clinically appropriate sites as originating locations.
• Expand the list of eligible practitioners who may furnish telehealth services.
• Recognize federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics as telehealth distant site providers.
• Allow telehealth use in hospice recertifications.
• Permanently repeal the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health services and reject similar restrictions that create unnecessary barriers to care.
• Extend audio-only flexibilities for telehealth services.

Telehealth provides essential access to care and improves outcomes, including reduced emergency department utilization and improved medication adherence. Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access to telehealth services and are satisfied with the care they receive. While there is overwhelming support for Congress to enact permanent telehealth legislation, we must provide patients and clinicians with long-term certainty to support continued investment in technology and clinical models to meet the evolving health care needs of Medicare beneficiaries. We appreciate your collaboration and leadership on this issue and look forward to working with you to ensure access to telehealth services is retained past September 30.