03/20/2026
Use of telehealth, which includes a range of health care services delivered to patients by providers at a separate location, has grown rapidly in recent years, among both privately-insured patients and Medicare beneficiaries. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth utilization in traditional Medicare was very low, but it rose dramatically in 2020 following temporary measures put in place at the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency that greatly expanded the scope of Medicare coverage of telehealth. Since early 2021 telehealth use has declined steadily, but it remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, with considerable variation by level of income, disability, and urban versus rural location, among other factors.
Congress has repeatedly extended several pandemic-era flexibilities around Medicare coverage of telehealth, but with a few key exceptions (discussed below), most pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities remain temporary. This leaves them vulnerable if authorization lapses, such as during the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, when Medicare coverage of many telehealth services briefly lapsed before being retroactively reinstated on November 12, and creates uncertainty for both providers and beneficiaries. Many of Medicare’s telehealth flexibilities were recently granted a two-year extension under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 and will remain in effect through December 31, 2027, while a handful have been incorporated into the program on a permanent basis through prior legislation and through the annual physician fee schedule rulemaking process. There is bipartisan support for proposed legislation to permanently expand Medicare coverage of telehealth, and many health care providers are supportive of keeping these services accessible, but questions remain about the longer-term impact on patient care, Medicare spending, and program integrity.
This brief provides answers to key questions about the current scope of Medicare telehealth coverage, including both temporary and permanent changes adopted through legislation and regulation, and policy considerations that lie ahead.
Congress has repeatedly extended several pandemic-era flexibilities around Medicare coverage of telehealth, but with a few key exceptions most pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities remain temporary. This brief provides answers to key questions about the current scope of Medicare telehealth coverage,...
