The latest federal appropriations bill included language that extends telehealth flexibilities for occupational (OT) and physical therapists (PT), as well as for speech-language pathologists and audiologists, through Dec. 31, 2027.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2026 (H.R. 7148), signed by President Donald Trump on Feb. 3, finally gives clinicians some breathing room, after earlier continuing resolutions provided extensions of just 90 days each.
Clinicians, their professional organizations, and a long list of advocacy organizations have long been asking for telehealth flexibilities to be made permanent, or at least for a much longer extension to give those organizations time to work with legislators on a permanent fix.
“The two-year extension adopts language from the Telehealth Modernization Act, which was introduced by Reps. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii),” the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) said in a Feb. 3 press release. “Medicare telehealth waivers were first enacted by Congress in 2020, and they were periodically extended until September 2025, when telehealth policy became ensnared in the Congressional spending debate that resulted in a 42-day government shutdown and expiration of the waiver. Congress eventually acted to end the government shutdown in November and extended the telehealth waivers through Jan. 30, 2026, and applied them retroactively.
“AOTA has long advocated for the inclusion of occupational therapy practitioners as Medicare telehealth providers. We have worked with Congressional champions to make sure that OTPs [occupational therapy practitioners] are included in any extension of COVID-era telehealth waivers, including this most recent one. We are hopeful that Congress will use the next two years to implement permanent Medicare telehealth policies, including making occupational therapy practitioners permanent telehealth providers to prevent future disruptions.”
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) also noted the extension, after urging stakeholders to keep the pressure on Congress following the temporary spending bill that extended telehealth flexibilities through Jan. 30, 2026.
In a telehealth FAQ document updated Feb. 4, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said, “Through Dec. 31, 2027, beneficiaries can receive Medicare telehealth services anywhere in the United States and territories. Starting Jan. 1, 2028, except for behavioral health services, beneficiaries will generally need to be in a medical facility and in a rural area to receive Medicare telehealth services.”
