February 18, 2026
Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Extension
Recent legislation authorized an extension of many Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027. This includes:
Extensions of telehealth access options:
- Medicare patients can receive telehealth services for non-behavioral/mental health care in their home through December 31, 2027.
- Waiving geographic and originating site requirements,
- Expanding practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services,
- Allowing Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to serve as distant site providers,
- Delaying in-person requirements for tele-mental health services, and
- Allowing audio-only telehealth
Rural Health:
- FQHCs and RHCs can serve as Medicare distant site providers for non-behavioral/mental telehealth services through December 31, 2027.
- Non-behavioral/mental telehealth services in Medicare can be delivered using audio-only communication platforms through December 31, 2027.
- FQHCs and RHCs can permanently serve as a Medicare distant site provider for behavioral/mental telehealth services.
- Medicare patients can permanently receive telehealth services for behavioral/mental health care in their home.
- There are no geographic restrictions for originating site for Medicare behavioral/mental telehealth services on a permanent basis.
- Behavioral/mental telehealth services in Medicare can permanently be delivered using audio-only communication platforms.
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