# Telehealth Coverage Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

This bill makes permanent several temporary telehealth flexibilities that were put in place during the COVID-19 emergency. Specifically, it removes expiration dates (March 31, 2025) from Medicare rules that allowed doctors to provide more healthcare services remotely via video or phone calls. Instead of these flexibilities ending, they would continue indefinitely under this legislation.

## Key Changes

The bill makes the following telehealth services permanent under Medicare:

- **Expanded telehealth access**: Allows more types of doctors and healthcare providers to offer remote services
- **Audio-only visits**: Permits phone-only appointments (without video) for certain services
- **Removed in-person requirements**: Eliminates the requirement that patients have an initial in-person visit before receiving telehealth services for mental health, substance use disorder treatment, stroke care, and home dialysis monitoring
- **Rural and community health centers**: Allows Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to continue offering telehealth services
- **Hospice care**: Permits hospice providers to conduct required face-to-face visits with patients via telehealth

## Who Benefits

This bill would primarily benefit Medicare patients (seniors and some disabled individuals) by making remote healthcare more accessible and convenient. It would also benefit healthcare providers by allowing them to serve patients across greater distances. Rural patients, in particular, would benefit from expanded access to specialists and mental health services without traveling long distances.