Yes, telehealth has been extended. Congress passed legislation pushing most Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027, giving patients and providers at least two more years of expanded access. But the details vary depending on the type of service, how it’s delivered, and whether you’re on Medicare or private insurance. Here’s what’s actually in place right now.
Medicare Telehealth Through 2027
The biggest question most people have is whether they can still see their doctor from home. Through December 31, 2027, Medicare patients can receive telehealth services from anywhere in the United States, including their home. There are no geographic restrictions, meaning you no longer need to be in a rural area or travel to a clinic to qualify. This applies to non-behavioral health services like primary care check-ups, specialist consultations, and chronic disease management.
For behavioral and mental health services, the rules are even more generous. Medicare has made home-based telehealth for behavioral health permanent. There are no geographic restrictions and no expiration date on this flexibility. If you’re receiving therapy, psychiatric care, or substance use treatment through Medicare, telehealth from home is here to stay.
Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers can also continue providing telehealth for non-behavioral health services through December 31, 2027. These clinics serve as critical access points for underserved communities, and their ability to deliver care remotely has been preserved alongside the broader Medicare extensions.
Audio-Only Visits Are Still Covered
Not everyone has reliable internet or a device with a camera. Audio-only telehealth, essentially a phone call with your provider, remains an option. The earlier extension through March 31, 2025 under the American Relief Act has been superseded by the broader legislation pushing these flexibilities to the end of 2027. For behavioral health specifically, audio-only access is permanently available.
This matters most for older adults and people in areas with poor broadband. About one in four Medicare beneficiaries lack the technology for video visits, so keeping phone-based appointments covered prevents a significant gap in care.
Controlled Substance Prescribing Extended to End of 2026
One of the more complicated pieces of telehealth policy involves prescribing medications like ADHD treatments, anti-anxiety drugs, and certain pain medications. During the pandemic, the DEA allowed providers to prescribe these controlled substances (Schedules II through V) via telehealth without ever meeting the patient in person. That flexibility has now been extended four times.
The fourth and most recent extension, issued jointly by the DEA and HHS, runs through December 31, 2026. Providers who are registered with the DEA can continue prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine to patients they’ve never seen face-to-face, as long as they meet certain conditions. This is particularly important for patients receiving treatment for opioid use disorder, ADHD, or chronic pain who may live far from a specialist.
What happens after 2026 remains unresolved. The DEA has been working toward permanent telemedicine prescribing rules for years but hasn’t finalized them. Each temporary extension has essentially bought more time while the agency develops a long-term framework.
What Changed After March 2025
If you followed telehealth policy earlier in 2025, you may remember that several flexibilities were initially set to expire on March 31, 2025 under the American Relief Act. These included the ability for any Medicare-eligible practitioner to furnish telehealth, the waiver of in-person visit requirements for behavioral health, and audio-only coverage. At the time, there was real uncertainty about whether Congress would act before that deadline.
Congress did act. The subsequent legislation extended most of these provisions through the end of 2027, resolving much of the short-term anxiety. Some specific provisions have their own timelines: teaching physicians can supervise medical trainees virtually through December 31, 2025, and frequency limits on certain inpatient and nursing facility telehealth visits remain suspended through the same date. But the core flexibilities that matter to most patients, seeing your provider from home via video or phone, are secure for now.
Private Insurance Varies by State
Medicare isn’t the only payer that matters. If you have employer-sponsored or marketplace insurance, your telehealth coverage depends largely on your state’s laws and your specific plan. Twenty-four states plus Puerto Rico have explicit payment parity laws, meaning insurers must reimburse telehealth visits at the same rate as in-person care. Maryland recently made its payment parity requirement permanent, while New Jersey extended its requirement through July 2026.
In states without parity laws, insurers can choose to cover telehealth at lower rates or restrict which services qualify. Most major insurers expanded telehealth coverage during the pandemic and have kept much of it in place voluntarily, but there’s no federal requirement for private plans to cover telehealth at all. If you’re unsure, check your plan’s summary of benefits or call your insurer directly.
Hospital-at-Home Program Still in Limbo
One related program that hasn’t received the same extension is Acute Hospital Care at Home, which allowed hospitals to treat certain patients remotely using monitoring technology and home visits. This initiative was set to expire on December 31, 2024. CMS had been exploring its future, noting the program raised important questions about safety and quality that hadn’t been fully answered.
The program originally launched during the pandemic when hospital beds were scarce and was extended once through the end of 2024 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Its status beyond that depends on further congressional action, making it one of the few pandemic-era healthcare flexibilities that remains genuinely uncertain.
The Fiscal Picture
Extending telehealth costs the federal government relatively little. Congressional Budget Office estimates for the telehealth extension provisions show a net savings of $401 million over the 2026 to 2035 window. The savings come primarily from reduced travel costs and more efficient care delivery, partially offset by increased utilization in the early years. This favorable cost profile is one reason telehealth extensions have attracted bipartisan support, even in tight budget negotiations.
Key Dates to Track
- December 31, 2025: Virtual supervision for teaching physicians and suspension of telehealth frequency limits for inpatient and nursing facility visits expire.
- December 31, 2026: DEA’s telemedicine prescribing flexibility for controlled substances expires.
- December 31, 2027: Most Medicare telehealth flexibilities expire, including home as an originating site for non-behavioral health and geographic restriction waivers.
- Permanent: Medicare telehealth for behavioral and mental health services from home, with no geographic restrictions.
If current patterns hold, Congress will likely revisit these deadlines well before they arrive. Telehealth has been extended through every expiration date since the pandemic began, each time with broader bipartisan support than the last. But “likely” isn’t “guaranteed,” and each extension has come with its share of last-minute uncertainty.