In the final CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule Rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) accelerated the timeline for imposing in-person visit requirements for Medicare patients receiving behavioral health (BH) services via telehealth.
The most significant change was that effective October 1, 2025, any new Medicare patients seeking behavioral health (BH) care must have at least one in-person appointment for BH services before they can start receiving these services via telehealth.
With the passage of the Continuing Resolution, Congress has extended the implementation of the in-person visit requirement until January 31, 2026. Providers need to begin preparing for the full implementation of this rule beginning on February 1, 2026.