WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today introduced the “Expanded Telehealth Access Act,” which increases health care access by[...]

• February 11, 2026

"Many Montanans depend on telehealth services to access critical, especially in rural communities where patients and families would otherwise have to drive long distances or face unpredictable weather conditions to receive care. This bipartisan bill will increase access to telehealth services and help ensure patients receive the care they deserve," said Daines.

"Telehealth serves as a vital lifeline for many patients who would otherwise not be able to access the health care that they need. This is especially important for Minnesotans living in rural areas and small towns, where many healthcare services are difficult, if not impossible, to reach. This bill ensures patients will have access to the health care they need without having to jump through administrative hoops," said Smith.

Read the bill text HERE.

Background:

Expanding telehealth is a priority for Daines- he has introduced this legislation the past two Congresses. Daines also introduced the Telehealth Expansion Act, which permanently allows first-dollar coverage of telehealth under High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). The bill was signed into law by President Trump as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

Statements of Support:

"The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association applauds Senators Daines and Smith for introducing this critical bill. Their longstanding leadership has built broad bipartisan support for adding audiologists and speech-language pathologists as permanent Medicare telehealth providers and for ensuring the inclusion of these professionals in previous telehealth extensions-maintaining seniors' access to essential services in the areas of hearing, balance, speech, language, swallowing, and cognition. ASHA looks forward to partnering with them to pass this bill as soon as possible." - ASHA 2026 President Linda I. Rosa-Lugo, EdD, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow

"The use of telehealth in recent years has ensured patient access to physical therapy services and provided therapy clinics an effective option for treating patients. It has highlighted just how valuable telehealth is for patients who need alternative access to therapy. It is critical that Congress make this option permanent for Medicare patients in need of physical therapy. We applaud Senators Daines and Smith for their leadership on this important bipartisan legislation."- APTA President Kyle Covington, PT, DPT, PhD

"Current telehealth waivers have reduced barriers to care, ensuring seniors can access timely and medically necessary occupational therapy services at home. AOTA thanks Senators Steve Daines and Tina Smith for their bipartisan leadership on this legislation. We urge Congress to take action so that occupational therapy practitioners are made permanent Medicare telehealth providers-ensuring patients can continue to receive the essential care they need." - AOTA Chief Executive Officer Katie Jordan, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, FAOTA.

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