The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Tuesday, March 11, that would keep the government open and funded through September 30, 2025. This legislation includes, among other provisions, a six-month extension of the current federal waivers that allow physicians to provide telehealth services to their patients. This legislation is now scheduled to be taken up by the Senate, where it faces an uncertain path towards passage into law. 

Access to Telehealth 

The House-passed government funding bill extends currently existing waivers allowing for the provision of telehealth services to Medicare patients until September 30, 2025. This will be a significant win for the PM&R specialty if it passes.  

Telehealth flexibilities, which were first implemented during the COVID-19 public health emergency, are currently set to expire on March 31, 2025. These flexibilities include the elimination of geographic restrictions based on patient location, payment parity for telehealth services, and coverage of audio-only services when providing necessary telehealth services to patients, among other policies. 

Your Academy has consistently advocated for Congress to pass permanent, or long-term, policies guaranteeing continued access to telehealth services. This advocacy, frequently in partnership with the Alliance for Connected Care and other stakeholders, has focused on providing certainty for Medicare providers and patients who rely on telehealth services. 

While six months is significantly shorter than the Academy and allied stakeholders have requested for an extension for current telehealth flexibilities, your Academy will use the next 6 months to continue advocating for a longer-term policy to maintain access to vitally important telehealth tools. 

Click here to learn more about the Academy’s work advocating to extend telehealth flexibilities.  

Medicare Physician Payment 

Unfortunately, this currently pending legislation does not address the 2.8% cut to Medicare physician payment rates that went into effect on January 1 of this year. 2025 is the fifth straight year that Congress has allowed a decrease to physician payment rates under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The Academy joined a coalition of medical specialty societies in urging Congress to include a physician fix in this legislation, and has endorsed bipartisan legislation that would have provided payment relief to physicians in 2025. 

Please click here to contact your representatives in Congress and let them know that Congress needs to act to provide Medicare payment relief for physicians. 

The Academy remains committed to pursuing fair reimbursement for physician-led care in the ever-changing healthcare environment and will continue working with allied stakeholders and congressional champions to implement positive updates to Medicare payment rates for care provided by physicians. 

Click here to learn more about the Academy’s work advocating for physician payment reform. 

AAPM&R advocacy staff will continue monitoring this legislation as Congress works to fund the federal government and will provide updates to members as they occur. Please visit the Academy’s Testimony and Written Comments page to view recent advocacy communications and contact Academy staff at healthpolicy@aapmr.org with any questions or concerns.