Congress·In Committee·H.R. 1899

Audio-Only Telehealth Access Act of 2025

Congress Proposes Permanent Medicare Coverage for Audio-Only Telehealth Appointments

Mar 6, 2025·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

StalledNext up: A house committeeNo action in 16 months

This bill is currently sitting in the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees. It has not moved forward since March 2025, and no action has been taken on it for 16 months. It is considered stalled because it has not received a committee vote.

Legislative Progress

House

No action since March 2025

Senate

President

Law

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 8148 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 8148 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill would change Medicare rules to permanently allow doctors to get paid for seeing patients over the phone. While many telehealth rules usually require a video connection, this plan would allow 'audio-only' calls to count as official medical visits.
The change mainly helps seniors and people with disabilities who use Medicare. It is especially useful for people living in rural areas with slow internet or for those who do not own a smartphone or a computer with a camera.
By allowing phone-only appointments, the bill aims to make it easier for patients to manage their health without having to travel to a doctor's office. This can save time and money on transportation, especially for routine check-ins or mental health visits.
The bill ensures that healthcare providers are paid for these phone services just as they would be for other types of telehealth. This encourages doctors to keep offering phone options to patients who struggle with technology or travel.

Medicare MedicaidHealthcareTelecommunications

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(7)

Medicare

Helps

Permanently allows Medicare to cover phone-only doctor visits, so patients don't need video technology to use telehealth.

Retiree

Helps

Seniors can keep seeing their doctors by phone without needing a computer, smartphone, or fast internet connection.

Physical Disability

Helps

People with physical disabilities can access care by phone, avoiding difficult trips to the doctor's office.

Sensory Disability

Helps

People with vision problems who may struggle with video calls can use a simple phone call for medical appointments.

Mental Health

Helps

Phone-based therapy and mental health check-ins would remain covered under Medicare, keeping access easy and private.

Chronic Illness

Helps

People managing ongoing conditions can do routine check-ins by phone, reducing the burden of frequent office visits.

Cognitive Developmental

Helps

Patients who find video technology confusing can use a familiar phone call to connect with their healthcare provider.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Mar 6, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Mar 6, 2025

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Related News

5 articles

Axios·Nov 12, 2025

Shutdown deal extends Medicare telehealth coverage

A Senate deal to reopen the government includes an extension of Medicare telehealth coverage through early 2026. The move provides relief for seniors and providers who rely on virtual visits, including audio-only appointments, which have become a staple of care since the pandemic.

Center

Healthcare Brew·Nov 21, 2025

What the government reopening means for healthcare

Telehealth flexibilities that allowed Medicare patients to be seen virtually, including via audio-only platforms, were temporarily extended through January 2026. Data shows 25% of beneficiaries used these services in 2024, highlighting the central role of virtual care in modern medicine.

Center

Washington Post·Oct 31, 2025

The Health 202: Telehealth policy for teaching physicians faces rollbacks

As pandemic-era flexibilities face expiration, CMS is considering rolling back certain telehealth rules. While the industry pushes for permanent audio-only coverage, some proposals suggest tighter restrictions on virtual supervision in teaching hospitals.

Center Left

No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Audio-Only Telehealth Access Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 1899

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

D: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.