The Medicare Service That Nearly Disappeared But Came Back

Part of planning for retirement is determining how you'll handle healthcare issues. One issue that may slip under your radar is telehealth. At one time, only a small group of Medicare recipients had access to telehealth services. That changed at the height of the pandemic, when telehealth was offered to nearly all Medicare recipients via audio-video or audio-only. It also included a wider range of practitioners, like physicians, nurse practitioners, and therapists.

The expansion was of great benefit to Medicare patients who lacked transportation or were too ill to get to a medical facility. It was also helpful to patients who were caregivers themselves and had trouble getting someone else to step in for them long enough to see a doctor.

The pandemic-era telehealth rules were set to expire in late 2025, although some were temporarily restored through Jan. 30, 2026. As might have been expected, this was not welcome news for many Medicare recipients.

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Good news -- at least through Dec. 31, 2027

The federal government recently took steps to address telehealth issues. Some pandemic-era policies were made permanent, while others are temporary. Here's what the newly updated telehealth policies allow:

• Medicare recipients receiving telehealth services for non-behavioral or mental health issues can continue to receive them at home. Services are not limited only to those seeking behavioral or mental healthcare.
• Those who receive telehealth services for behavioral or mental healthcare are not required to make an in-person visit within six months of their first Medicare telehealth session.
• There are no geographic restrictions for telehealth services.
• All Medicare providers can continue to provide telehealth services.
• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) can continue to serve as distant site providers for Medicare recipients.

For years, everything about telehealth -- including the value of telehealth stocks -- was expected to become a permanent way of life. As of today, each of these extensions is good through Dec. 31, 2027, although that date may be moved again in the future.

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