Congress·In Committee·S. 248

Congress Moves to Make Medicare Home Video Rehab for Heart and Lung Patients Permanent

Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Bipartisan Push to Permanently Expand At-Home Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

Would make Medicare’s at-home virtual rehab options for heart and lung recovery permanent, instead of temporary COVID-related flexibilities.
Lets patients do certain cardiac rehab, intensive cardiac rehab, and pulmonary rehab visits from home using real-time video telehealth.
Allows the supervising clinician to oversee rehab virtually by video, instead of always being physically present.
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, relaxes some location limits so telehealth rehab can be covered in more places, not just certain rural areas.
Tells the Health and Human Services Department to set standards for when a patient’s home can count as a hospital-linked site for these rehab services.

HealthcareMedicare Medicaid

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(3)

Medicare

Helps

Chronic Illness

Helps

Disability Benefits

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 24, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Jan 24, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Within 30 days after the bill becomes law

Health and Human Services sets standards for treating a patient’s home as a hospital-connected rehab site

Hospitals will get rules they must follow to offer cardiac/pulmonary rehab to Medicare patients at home in a way Medicare will cover.

2026-01-01

Medicare coverage starts for these rehab telehealth changes

Eligible Medicare patients can begin getting covered cardiac rehab, intensive cardiac rehab, and pulmonary rehab telehealth visits under the bill’s permanent rules, including from home when the program offers it.

2026-01-01

Geographic limits no longer apply for these rehab telehealth visits

Medicare patients won’t be blocked from these rehab telehealth visits just because they live outside an approved telehealth area, improving access for people far from clinics.

Early 2026, after the coverage start date

Hospitals and rehab programs expand or adjust telehealth rehab operations

More programs may start offering at-home video rehab sessions, but patients may see new onboarding steps like tech checks, safety instructions, and remote monitoring expectations.

Related News

6 articles

American College of Cardiology·about 2 months ago

Congress Passes Critical Health Program Funding, Extends Telehealth Flexibilities

ACC recap of a health funding package that extends Medicare telehealth and references in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehab timelines, providing context for why permanent authority (via H.R. 783 / S. 248) is being pursued.

American College of Cardiology·about 1 year ago

Federal Funding Bill Extends Telehealth Flexibilities Through September

Policy/advocacy write-up noting temporary telehealth extensions and explicitly naming the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehab Services in the Home Act (H.R. 783 / S. 248) as the vehicle to make in-home cardiopulmonary rehab telehealth permanent.

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American College of Cardiology·about 1 year ago

Federal Policy Update: Medicare Cuts, PAD Screening and Telehealth Legislation Introduced

ACC policy update that calls out the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act by name and summarizes its purpose: permanently extending Medicare coverage for in-home cardiopulmonary rehab services.

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