December 11, 2025
Telehealth Policy Updates
Recent legislation authorized an extension of many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities including waiving geographic and originating site restrictions through January 30, 2026. In support of the extensions, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a related FAQ document for calendar year 2026. To support access to care in rural communities, telehealth policies allow:
- Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified health Centers (FQHCs) can serve as Medicare distant site providers for non-behavioral/mental telehealth services through January 30, 2026.
- Non-behavioral/mental telehealth services in Medicare can be delivered using audio-only communication platforms through January 30, 2026, and
- FQHCs and RHCs can permanently serve as a Medicare distant site provider for behavioral/mental telehealth services and the in-person visit requirement for mental health services furnished via communication technology to beneficiaries in their homes is not required through January 1, 2026.
Click Here to see FAQ document for calendar year 2026
Visit Tehealth.HHS.gov for FAQs on telehealth policies for RHCs and FQHCs.