VGM & ASSOCIATESHealthcare MSO
Full Menu Search

Ensuring Access To Care: The Fight For Permanent Telehealth Flexibilities

Published in Government Relations on April 16, 2025

By: Adam Miller

Americans utilizing telehealth services to access healthcare is at an all-time high. It’s a convenient method without having to leave the home, giving access to healthcare professionals from anywhere. It expands a patient’s choice of provider and enables the provider the ability to see more patients.  

Telehealth usage surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. But according to available data, nearly 25% of Americans still receive essential access to care via telehealth in a given month. Several flexibilities to expand the use of telehealth were enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently extended—most recently within the 2024 end-of-the-year funding bill through Sept. 30, 2025. However, without Congressional action, many of these flexibilities will expire.   

There have been recent efforts to protect these flexibilities—a bi-partisan coalition of legislators have come forth in both chambers and have introduced legislation to ensure telehealth flexibilities become permanent.  

The House bill, H.R. 1407, titled “Permanent Telehealth from Home Act,” was introduced by Health Subcommittee Chair Rep. Buchanan (R-FL) and co-sponsored by Rep. Miller (R-OH) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and seeks to remove obstructive geographic limitations to telehealth services. This bill would permanently eliminate the originating site and geographic limitations for using telehealth, which will help patients continue to receive care through telehealth services regardless of location of the provider or the patient. 

Click here to read the full H.R. 1407 text/co-sponsors.  

The Senate bill, S. 1261, titled “Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025,” was introduced in the Senate by Senator Schatz (D-HI) with a staggering 59 original cosponsors (30 Republican, 27 Democratic, and 2 Independent) signing on. The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 aims to: 

  • Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to the location of the patient, including homes; 
  • Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services; 
  • Allow more eligible healthcare professionals to utilize telehealth services; 
  • Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirements for telemental health services; 
  • Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and 
  • Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care, and how it can be improved to support patients and healthcare providers. 

The CONNECT for Health Act was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress.  

Since 2016, several provisions of the bill have been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care, and home dialysis. The CONNECT for Health Act has the support of more than 150 organizations including the American Medical Association, AARP, American Hospital Association, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, and American Telemedicine Association among others.  

Click here to read the CONNECT for Health Act text/co-sponsors.  

Contact your legislator and urge them to sign onto these respective bills or thank them for already supporting the efforts to make telehealth flexibilities permanent. VGM will continue to monitor these bills, advocate for additional support, and keep you informed of developments as they occur. 

As always, reach out if you need resources or have additional questions. Together, we can be Champions Of Change.  

Get Connected

Stay up-to-date on the latest resources and news provided by VGM & Associates.

Sign Up for Email

From Our Experts

The Return of Competitive Bidding thumbnail The Return of Competitive Bidding The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) appear to be laying the groundwork for another round of the Competitive Bidding Program (CBP). While full implementation will take a couple of years, an official announcement is expected this summer—potentially as early as July. Out With The Old RAC, In With The New thumbnail Out With The Old RAC, In With The New On April 28, 2025, CMS awarded Cotiviti GOV Services LLC, the new RAC Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) Region 3, 4, and 5 contracts. RAC Region 3 includes the following Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) jurisdictions: JJ, JM, and JN. RAC Region 4 includes jurisdictions: JE, JF, and JL. And RAC Region 5 includes jurisdictions: JA, JB, JC, JD, as well as the HH/H MACs: J6, J15, JK, and JM. Iowa Leads the Charge! All Four Representatives Back H.R. 2005—Will Your State Step Up? thumbnail Iowa Leads the Charge! All Four Representatives Back H.R. 2005—Will Your State Step Up? At VGM Group, Inc. we have the pleasure of serving our members and partners throughout the country.  One of the many ways we do this is through legislative advocacy, working with our partners to create a more equitable and effective healthcare system. All our VGM units are dedicated to advancing our partners' businesses, streamlining operations, and working every day to enhance reimbursement for the quality in-home healthcare our industry provides all people. Mike Hamilton Of ADMEA Honored With The Mal Mixon Advocate Award thumbnail Mike Hamilton Of ADMEA Honored With The Mal Mixon Advocate Award Last week, during the 2025 AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference, Mike Hamilton, Executive Director of ADMEA, was honored with the prestigious Mal Mixon Advocate Award. VGM Senior Leaders Engage in Advocacy at AAHomecare Legislative Conference thumbnail VGM Senior Leaders Engage in Advocacy at AAHomecare Legislative Conference This week, VGM leaders attended the AAHomecare Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., a premier event dedicated to advancing healthcare policy and advocacy. AAHomecare provided attendees with valuable insights, equipping them with key discussion points and strategies for effective meetings with legislators. Champion of Change: Paula Vineyard of Elana Health & Loop Medical Leads Healthcare Advocacy in West Virginia thumbnail Champion of Change: Paula Vineyard of Elana Health & Loop Medical Leads Healthcare Advocacy in West Virginia On Thursday, May 8, Paula Vineyard, owner of Elana Health & Loop Medical, took a pivotal step in healthcare advocacy by hosting a meeting with Tyler Ohrn, Field Representative for Congresswoman Carol Miller of West Virginia's First District. The hour-long discussion centered on the pressing need for congressional support of H.R. 2005. Manufacturer Survey On Tariffs thumbnail Manufacturer Survey On Tariffs The American Association for Homecare and VGM Group are seeking valuable insights from durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) manufacturers and vendor partners regarding tariffs imposed on certain countries. Key Payers Denied Your Application Citing Their Network Is Closed – Now What? thumbnail Key Payers Denied Your Application Citing Their Network Is Closed – Now What? This experience has increasingly become one of the most common questions we receive from our provider members as more and more payers move to narrow their provider networks. The reasons payers seek to narrow their networks are simple. Payers are highly motivated to achieve their goals while doing less work and are not required to allow providers into their networks unless there is a patient access issue. For those of you fortunate enough to be a part of a narrow network, this may not be much of

Give your business an advantage over the competition.

Become a Member