LUGPA Policy Update – Advancing Telehealth Reform in Medicare

May 2025 

Two bipartisan bills introduced in the 119th Congress—H.R. 2263 the Telehealth Coverage Act of 2025 and H.R. 1407, the (Permanent Telehealth from Home Act), seek to extend the telehealth flexibilities adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. These proposals reflect the growing consensus that telehealth is now an essential element of healthcare delivery.

By modernizing outdated rules, broadening provider eligibility, and supporting home-based access, these bills improve care for underserved communities and bolster independent practices, including those in urology.

H.R. 2263, the Telehealth Coverage Act of 2025, introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna, would permanently extend key Medicare telehealth flexibilities first authorized during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The bill removes geographic and originating site restrictions, allows patients to receive care from home, expands the list of eligible telehealth providers, and authorizes Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to serve as distant site providers.

It ensures continued reimbursement for audio-only services, eliminates in-person visit requirements for home dialysis, mental health, and hospice eligibility, and promotes hospital-at-home care.

The legislation also requires the development of billing modifiers for telehealth claims, provides guidance for limited English proficiency patients, expands access to virtual cardiac rehab and diabetes prevention programs, and supports broader, permanent integration of telehealth into Medicare. LUGPA strongly supports H.R. 2263 as a step toward equitable and sustainable virtual care.

H.R. 1407, introduced by Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Brad Miller (R-OH), and Mike Thompson (D-CA), would amend the Social Security Act to permanently remove geographic restrictions and expand the definition of originating sites for telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, it eliminates the requirement that certain telehealth flexibilities only apply during or shortly after the COVID-19 public health emergency, thereby allowing Medicare beneficiaries to access telehealth services from any location, including their homes, regardless of geographic area.

These bills represent a congressional effort to bring Medicare telehealth policy into the modern era. By removing longstanding barriers, broadening access, and supporting independent practices, they strengthen the healthcare system’s resilience and patient focus. For urology practices and other specialties, these reforms are critical to meeting rising demand, ensuring continuity of care, and maintaining financial stability. As pandemic-era policies approach expiration, Congress must act to preserve and expand these vital gains in telehealth.