Center for Connected Health Policy

12/18/2025

Nemours Children's Health launched an at-home care program leveraging telehealth and RPM that aims to enhance patient recovery and alleviate stress among family members.

Nemours Children's Health launched an at-home care program leveraging telehealth and RPM that aims to enhance patient recovery and alleviate stress among family members.

12/16/2025

As 2025 begins to wind down, we, at CCHP, like to take a look back and make note of the major changes that have occurred in telehealth policy throughout the year. Upon reflection, we again find ourselves in a very similar place to where we were in December of 2024, when the Medicare telehealth waivers were set to expire on March 30, 2025. This year again leaves us in a state of uncertainty as, unless further action is taken, the Medicare telehealth waivers will now expire on January 30, 2026. Readers may unsurprisingly feel some anxiety around this rapidly approaching deadline, as the last time we were this close to an expiration date, the waivers actually expired and we found ourselves in the midst of the longest federal government shutdown in history, as well as a reversion back to the much more restrictive permanent Medicare telehealth policy. In the deal that ultimately ended the shutdown, the Medicare telehealth waivers were again extended, this time to January 30, 2026.

12/16/2025

Telehealth utilization as measured by telehealth claim lines1 decreased nationally and in every US census region except the Northeast in September 2025, according to FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker. Nationally, telehealth claim lines decreased from 5.1 percent of medical claim lines in August to 5.0 percent in September, a decrease of 2.3 percent. Regionally, the decreases were 6.9 percent in the Midwest, 2.6 percent in the South and 1.4 percent in the West. In the Northeast, the percentage increased 2.9 percent. The data represent the commercially insured population, excluding Medicare Fee-for-Service, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid.

/PRNewswire/ -- Telehealth utilization as measured by telehealth claim lines1 decreased nationally and in every US census region except the Northeast in...

12/15/2025

A national panel of nursing, operational, and regulatory experts convened on Dec. 10 to examine how virtual nursing, acute hospital care at home, and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping patient care amid shifting federal policies. The policy dialogue, hosted by the American Academy of Nursing, focused on organizational readiness, regulatory challenges, reimbursement gaps, and workforce development needs.

Nursing leaders and policy experts shared urgent recommendations on virtual nursing, hospital-at-home models, and AI regulation during a national policy dialogue.

12/12/2025

In updated guidance released late in November, CMS confirmed that telehealth services provided during the lapse will be reimbursed retroactively, ensuring that providers and patients are not financially penalized for care delivered during the disruption.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has formally resolved uncertainty surrounding Medicare telehealth claims that were disrupted during the recent federal government shu

12/11/2025

CMS has announced a new voluntary payment model supporting telehealth, wearables, AI tools, and digital platforms for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions. The Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model aims to modernize care delivery and address long-standing barriers that have limited technology use in traditional Medicare.

CMS has announced a new voluntary payment model supporting telehealth, wearables, AI tools, and digital platforms for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions. The Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model aims to modernize care delivery and address long-standing...

12/09/2025

💫 2025 IN REVIEW: State Telehealth Policy... it's the Legislative Roundup!

As 2025 nears its end, the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is releasing its annual roundup of state telehealth legislation. This year, states continued refining telehealth policy across multiple areas, including Medicaid coverage, private payer requirements, licensure, prescribing, and professional practice standards. Increased attention to remote patient monitoring, clearer parameters for when audio-only is appropriate, data transparency, and artificial intelligence reflects a shift toward more detailed and clearly defined telehealth frameworks.

In the 2025 legislative session, 40 states and the District of Columbia enacted a total of 181 telehealth-related bills—up from 171 in 2024.

12/09/2025

As the third pandemic-era waiver allowing virtual prescribing of controlled substances sunsets, more than 180 telemedicine providers and advocates are asking OMB and DEA to act immediately to protect patients.

As the third pandemic-era waiver allowing virtual prescribing of controlled substances sunsets, more than 180 telemedicine providers and advocates are asking OMB and DEA to act immediately to protect patients.

12/08/2025

U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Mark Warner (D-VA), members of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terry Cole urging the DEA to extend telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances. The current flexibilities, which have been essential in connecting individuals in rural and underserved communities with access to essential medications, are set to expire at the end of this year.

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Mark Warner (D-VA), members of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terry Cole urging the DEA to extend telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances.  ...

12/05/2025

A new study led by researchers at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, published Monday by JAMA Network Open, estimates that nearly 20% of U.S. residents who use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention—or more than 110,000 of the approximately 580,000 PrEP users nationwide in 2024—received their medication via telemedicine.

A new study led by researchers at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, published Monday by JAMA Network Open, estimates that nearly 20% of U.S. residents who use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention—or more than 110,000 of the approximately 580,000 PrEP users nationwid...

12/04/2025

A 24-week telehealth program combining long-acting anti-obesity medications (AOMs) with tailored virtual behavioral support lead to meaningful weight loss and blood pressure reductions among individuals with overweight or obesity.

Telemedicine prescriptions of semaglutide and tirzepatide, combined with a virtual behavioral program, yielded weight loss and lower blood pressure in individuals with overweight or obesity.

12/03/2025

The House of Representatives has voted to extend Medicaid waivers for the hospital at home program for five years, offering a longer extension for the pandemic-era program after a slew of short-term reprieves.

The bill, which passed the House unanimously on Monday, would waive certain requirements to enable hospitals to provide acute inpatient care in patients’ homes until Sept. 30, 2030. The waivers were previously set to expire on Jan. 30, 2026.

Hospital and telehealth groups applauded the bill’s passage. “This is a perfect example of how our government should work,” said Alexis Apple, director of federal affairs at ATA Action, the advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association, in a statement. The bill now heads to the Senate for voting.

The bill would waive certain requirements to enable hospitals to provide acute inpatient care in patients’ homes through 2030. It now heads to the Senate.