Congress·In Committee·H.R. 5496

HEALTH Act of 2025

House Bill Would Make Medicare Telehealth Payments Permanent for Community Health Centers

Sep 18, 2025·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Part of: Congress Moves to Permanently Expand Medicare Telehealth Access and Providers

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 10 months

The HEALTH Act of 2025 is currently sitting in the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees. No action has been taken on this bill since September 2025, which means it has been stalled for about nine months. It will not move forward unless these committees decide to hold a vote.

Legislative Progress

House

No action since September 2025

Senate

President

Law

How we got here

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

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 5611 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 5611 (118th) →

Key Points

Makes Medicare telehealth payments permanent for federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics when they serve patients remotely.
Says a telehealth visit can be done by video or by audio-only (like a phone call), as long as it’s two-way and real-time.
Removes location rules that can block telehealth, so these clinics can provide remote care without Medicare’s usual geographic and site limits.
Tells the Health and Human Services Department to update its rules within 60 days to match these changes.
Could make it easier for rural and underserved patients to get Medicare-covered care without traveling, especially when internet video isn’t available.

HealthcareMedicare MedicaidTechnology

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(1)

Medicare

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Sep 18, 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.

Sep 18, 2025

Introduced in House

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

Related News

2 articles

Times Observer·Oct 10, 2023

Thompson sponsors rural telehealth bill

Rep. Glenn Thompson introduced the Helping Ensure Access to Local TeleHealth (HEALTH) Act to secure Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services provided by community health centers and rural health clinics, including audio-only visits for patients without broadband access.

Center

National Association of Rural Health Clinics·Feb 12

Congress Votes to Maintain Telehealth Policy that Disadvantages Safety-Net Providers & Patients

While Congress recently extended temporary telehealth flexibilities, advocacy continues for the HEALTH Act (H.R. 5496), which would establish permanent, cost-related payments for telehealth services at Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Center

No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

HEALTH Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 5496

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

(5)

D: 5

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.