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Congress·In Committee·19 days ago

Senate Bill Would Add Therapists, Audiologists to Medicare Telehealth Coverage

Also known as: Expanded Telehealth Access Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill would allow more types of healthcare workers to get paid by Medicare for seeing patients over video or phone. Currently, Medicare only pays for telehealth from a limited list of doctors and specialists.
  • The policy specifically adds physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists to the list of approved telehealth providers. It also includes assistants who work under their supervision.
  • This change aims to help seniors and people with disabilities who may have trouble traveling to an office for regular therapy. It makes it easier to receive rehabilitation and specialized care from home.
  • The bill gives the government the power to add even more types of healthcare providers to the approved telehealth list in the future without needing to pass a new law.
  • If passed, these changes would take effect immediately upon the bill being signed into law, providing permanent access to services that were previously only available through temporary rules.
Healthcare

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 11, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Feb 11, 2026

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Upon enactment

If enacted, new telehealth provider categories become eligible for Medicare payment immediately

Medicare beneficiaries could begin receiving telehealth visits from physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists as soon as the bill is signed into law — no waiting period.

Related News

4 articles
Forbes·about 2 months ago

Broadening Push To Extend Medicare Telehealth Coverage Includes Amazon

A coalition of healthcare providers and tech giants is pushing Congress to make pandemic-era Medicare telehealth waivers permanent. The effort highlights the Expanded Telehealth Access Act, which seeks to ensure therapists and audiologists remain eligible for reimbursement beyond temporary extensions.

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The Hill·almost 3 years ago

Bipartisan bill would expand Medicare telehealth coverage for therapy

Lawmakers reintroduced the Expanded Telehealth Access Act to permanently allow Medicare to reimburse physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists. The bill aims to prevent a 'telehealth cliff' for seniors who rely on virtual rehabilitative care.

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Politico·almost 3 years ago

Telehealth's next chapter

Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Diana Harshbarger are leading a bipartisan push to expand the types of providers Medicare pays for telehealth. The Expanded Telehealth Access Act specifically targets physical and occupational therapists, whose ability to bill for remote care is currently tied to waivers.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Expanded Telehealth Access Act

Bill NumberS 3834
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
D: 1

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.