On February 3, 2026, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 7148opens in new window), which will fund the federal Department of Health and Human Services for the remainder of the fiscal year. The bill includes an extension of current coverage policies for telehealth services, including another delay of the Medicare in-person visit requirements. These Medicare coverage flexibilities are now set to expire after December 31, 2027, if Congress fails to extend them further or make them permanent.
The bill represents a positive development for telehealth stakeholders. It places congressional action for Medicare telehealth policy on a separate timeframe from the more complicated—and sometimes more tumultuous—budget process. Furthermore, Congress has more time to devise a permanent solution on Medicare telehealth policy. APA Services will continue to work alongside telehealth advocates to advance legislation that permanently enables reliable access to behavioral health care via telehealth, including the connect for Health Act (H.R. 4206 / S. 1261opens in new window) and the Telemental Health Care Access Act (H.R. 3884 / S. 2011opens in new window).
For more information, contact: Stephen Gillaspy, deputy chief of health policy and healthcare financing, and Andrew Strickland, senior legislative and regulatory officer.