The Medicare telehealth waivers that expired on January 30, 2026, have now been formally extended. Congress passed HR 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, and the bill was signed into law, retroactively covering the brief lapse period. This legislation extends key Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027, restoring continuity to coverage and avoiding a return to permanent, pre-pandemic Medicare telehealth policy.
These waivers have been in place since 2020 when the COVID-19 public health emergency began, and have since been extended repeatedly, often on a short-term basis. This longer-term, an almost two-year extension, provides greater stability and reduces near-term uncertainty for providers and patients relying on telehealth services.
The following waivers are now extended:
- Waiver of location requirements (both geographic and type of site).
- Continued eligibility of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) as telehealth providers.
- Delay of the prior in-person visit requirement for mental health services when certain permanent telehealth policy requirements are not met.
- Delay of the prior in-person visit requirement for mental health services delivered via telecommunications technology for FQHCs and RHCs.
- Continued allowance of audio-only telehealth services.