CONNECT for Health Act

Full Title:
CONNECT for Health Act of 2025

Summary#

This bill would change Medicare rules to expand access to telehealth. It removes geographic limits on telehealth beginning October 1, 2025, and expands where and how telehealth can be provided. It lets the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) waive limits on which types of practitioners may furnish telehealth if doing so is clinically appropriate, with public comment and periodic review. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs) can be paid for telehealth under existing payment systems starting October 1, 2025. Facilities of the Indian Health Service, tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian health systems are exempt from originating site rules starting January 1, 2026, and some originating site fees would not apply. The bill repeals the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health services. It allows use of telehealth for hospice recertification during and after the public health emergency period and requires a GAO report on impacts. The bill clarifies fraud-and-abuse rules for technologies provided directly to beneficiaries for telehealth, authorizes $3 million per year for HHS Office of Inspector General oversight for fiscal years 2026–2030, and directs CMS to identify and notify significant outlier telehealth billing patterns. It requires beneficiary and provider resources and training, a study and report on engagement strategies, inclusion of telehealth in quality measurement reviews, and public posting of telehealth use and outcome data by CMS.

What it means for you#

  • Medicare enrollees could access telehealth without geographic restrictions starting October 1, 2025.
  • Some clinics (FQHCs and RHCs) would be paid for telehealth visits under their usual payment systems.
  • Indian Health Service, tribal, and Native Hawaiian health facilities would be treated differently for originating-site rules starting January 1, 2026.
  • Mental health patients would no longer need a six-month in-person visit to get telemental health services.
  • Hospice recertification may be done by telehealth during and after the emergency period defined in the bill.
  • Providers may receive new training resources and CMS will publish data on telehealth use and outcomes.

Expenses#

  • The bill authorizes $3,000,000 to be appropriated to the HHS Office of Inspector General for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030, to remain available until expended, for telehealth oversight.
  • The bill authorizes "such sums as necessary" for development of beneficiary and provider training and resources in several sections.
  • No publicly available information on total costs or net fiscal effects of the coverage and payment changes is provided in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

The bill's findings and statements of Congress say telehealth can expand access, improve quality, and reduce spending; that many patients report satisfaction with telehealth; and that telehealth helps address clinician shortages and access barriers. It also states that long-term certainty about Medicare telehealth coverage is needed and that barriers should be removed. Supporters would point to these findings to justify the changes in coverage, payment, oversight, and beneficiary supports.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.