Things are looking up for Medicare patients who rely on telehealth services that have been in limbo during the federal government shutdown. Inside the continuing resolution that is currently making its way through Congress is an extension of telehealth flexibilities that expired on Oct. 1.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, telehealth services for Medicare patients have been covered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), affording Medicare patients the option to see providers from the comfort of their homes. Congress has extended the coverage multiple times since, ensuring the option remained available.
When the federal government failed to pass a stopgap bill in late September to keep the government open, renewal of the telehealth flexibilities tucked inside the measure also failed to pass. In the shutdown’s wake, hospitals had to come up with short-term solutions to offset the shortage of federal funds.
Zoë Buhrmaster here to guide you through the troubles of telehealth with today’s Roundup.
Across Logan Health facilities, nearly 700 Medicare patients have used at-home video services since the beginning of 2025. For the month of October, providers at Billings Clinic – Logan Health continued to see patients remotely who already had set appointments, the hospital agreeing to eat the cost in the case Medicare did not cover services retroactively.
“For that person who may have to drive a couple hours now to see a physician or maybe they don’t drive and now a family member has to take the day off work to get them to their appointment, it’s extremely impactful,” JJ Carmody, director of Health Policy and Government Relations at Billings Clinic – Logan Health, said in an interview with the Beacon on Oct. 31.
When November came, hospital staff sent out emails to patients, setting up individualized plans for care without telehealth based on patients’ specific health needs and location.
“So, really trying to work with each individual patient to say, ‘what is the best way and the most convenient way to get you seen by your primary care physician in a manner that’s covered by your insurance,’” Carmody said.
Four-hundred-and-fifty health organizations added their names to a letter urging Congress members to pass a long-term telehealth solution on Nov. 4, writing that the shutdown had resulted in a loss of access to telehealth services for over 4 million Medicare beneficiaries nationwide and put a strain on nearly one-third of healthcare providers who use telehealth.
“This cycle of temporary fixes has resulted in patients and providers facing continued disruptions in care,” the letter said. “Providers are faced with decisions between providing the necessary care for their patients and cutting access to clinicians and services they are providing virtually.”
The resolution currently in the hands of the House to end the shutdown includes retroactive payment for any telehealth claims put on hold since Oct. 1. If passed, it would reinstate telehealth coverage to the pre-shutdown policies – until the end of January next year.
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