As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which ended the recent partial government shutdown, Congress extended several Medicare telehealth flexibilities through Dec. 31, 2027. These policies, originally introduced during the COVID-19 public health emergency, were set to expire Jan. 30, 2026. The extension provides multiyear stability for practices that rely on virtual care.
Through Dec. 31, 2027, Medicare will continue to allow:
- Patients to receive telehealth services from home, without geographic or rural site restrictions.
- Expanded originating sites, beyond traditional clinical facilities.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to serve as distant-site telehealth providers.
- Audio-only telehealth for certain services, when clinically appropriate.
- A delay of in-person visit requirements for tele-mental health services.
This extension will allow sleep practices to continue delivering convenient, patient-centered virtual care under current Medicare rules. The AASM will continue advocating for the permanent adoption of these flexibilities to support access to sleep care nationwide.
The bill also allows for extension of the work geographic practice cost index (GPCI) floor through Jan. 1, 2027, protecting sleep providers in many rural and lower-cost regions from geographic payment reductions for at least another year.
Members may send questions about these extensions to coding@aasm.org.
