A Republican bill with 7 Democratic cosponsors · See all 15 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Telehealth Modernization Act extends various Medicare telehealth flexibilities through September 30, 2027. It removes certain geographic requirements, expands eligible practitioners, and extends telehealth services for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers. The bill also delays in-person requirements for telehealth mental health services and allows audio-only services. Additionally, it extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver through 2030 and introduces new fraud prevention measures for durable medical equipment. Finally, it provides for better telehealth guidance for people with limited English proficiency and expands virtual access to diabetes prevention and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs.
Yes· 3 of 19
- Scored +10
Would people over 65 be better off under this?
Directly benefits Medicare beneficiaries by expanding access to telehealth and home-based care.
- Scored +10
Would retired people be better off under this?
Directly improves healthcare delivery and access for Medicare beneficiaries.
- Scored +9
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Removes geographic requirements and extends telehealth for rural health clinics.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Access to Care: By removing geographic requirements and expanding originating sites for telehealth services through September 30, 2027, more people can access care regardless of their location (Section 2(a)).
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Mental Health Support: The bill delays the requirement for in-person visits for mental health services furnished via telehealth until October 1, 2027, making it easier for people to continue receiving mental health care remotely (Section 2(d)).
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Accessibility for Non-English Speakers: The Secretary of Health and Human Services must issue guidance on best practices for using interpreters, providing multi-language instructions, and improving digital portal access for individuals with limited English proficiency (Section 6(a)).
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Flexible Diabetes Prevention: The bill allows entities to offer online Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) services and removes prohibitions on payment based on the beneficiary's location, while also removing limits on how many times a person can enroll (Section 8(a)).
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Home-Based Recovery: It allows for in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation using audio and video technology through January 1, 2027 (Section 7(a)).
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Hospital Care at Home: The extension of the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver until 2030 allows more patients to receive hospital-level care in their own homes (Section 4(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Hospice Restrictions: The extension of telehealth for hospice recertification does not apply to individuals in areas with a moratorium on hospice program enrollment or those receiving care from providers under enhanced oversight (Section 2(f)).
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Payment Review Delays: Starting January 1, 2028, the Secretary may conduct prepayment reviews for certain durable medical equipment items flagged for aberrant billing patterns, which could potentially delay the processing of claims (Section 5(a)(1)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would retired people be better off under this? — Directly improves healthcare delivery and access for Medicare beneficiaries. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Directly benefits Medicare beneficiaries by expanding access to telehealth and home-based care. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Removes geographic requirements and extends telehealth for rural health clinics. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Improves access via audio-only services and FQHC telehealth extensions. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Improves access through home-based care and remote rehabilitation services. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Provides guidance to improve telehealth access for those with limited English proficiency and expands rural care. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Provides guidance to improve telehealth access for those with limited English proficiency. Would farmers be better off under this? — Improves access to healthcare in rural areas via telehealth. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Provides guidance to improve telehealth access for those with limited English proficiency. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Improves healthcare accessibility for individuals with limited English proficiency. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Expands access to care in rural health clinics. Would high-income households be better off under this? — Increases convenience and access to healthcare services. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Increases convenience and access to healthcare services. Would white Americans be better off under this? — Increases general access to telehealth services. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Increases general access to telehealth services.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Expands telehealth flexibilities, removes geographic restrictions, and allows audio-only services. Does this make mental health care easier to get? — Delays in-person requirements for mental health telehealth services through 2027.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Extends telehealth services specifically for rural health clinics.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — Introduces new fraud prevention measures for durable medical equipment to protect Medicare funds.
- 12/18/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 12/17/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 10/28/2025
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 9/9/2025
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- 9/4/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John BoozmanRepublican · Arkansas
Marsha BlackburnRepublican · Tennessee
Shelley CapitoRepublican · West Virginia
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Cindy Hyde-SmithRepublican · Mississippi
James JusticeRepublican · West Virginia
Angus KingIndependent · Maine
Jon OssoffDemocrat · Georgia
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Brian SchatzDemocrat · Hawaii
Dan SullivanRepublican · Alaska
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Thomas TillisRepublican · North Carolina
Raphael WarnockDemocrat · Georgia