Resources & Reports

CCHP’s April newsletter is here! This month’s topics include – MACPAC March 2026 Report Highlights Medicaid Workforce & Behavioral Health; Michigan Preserves IMLC Participation, Avoiding Disruptions to Physician Licensure and Patient Care; FTC Launches Healthcare Task Force; CMS Launches ASPIRE Model as CMMI Faces Ongoing Questions on Savings; HHS Highlights Telenutrition’s Role in Addressing Chronic Disease and Obesity; Commonwealth Fund Analysis Finds Telehealth Does Not Increase Low-Value Care; Key Telehealth Policy Developments from CCHP’s Policy Finder.

In December 2023, a case was filed in US District Court for New Jersey that challenged New Jersey’s in-state licensure law.  The law (NJ Statute C:45:1-62(2)(b)) requires health care providers to be licensed in New Jersey in order to provide telehealth services to New Jersey patients. Generally, licensure of medical professionals, in this case physicians, is within the jurisdiction of states to decide and regulate, however the plaintiffs in Shannon MacDonald, MD, et al v. Otto Sabando claimed that New Jersey’s licensure restrictions preventing the cross-state use of telehealth were illegal based upon four different constitutional arguments:

1. Commerce Clause & Dormant Commerce Clause
2. Privileges and Immunities Clause
3. First Amendment Protection on Speech
4. Due Process Clause

As telehealth continues to evolve beyond its pandemic-era expansion, federal agencies are increasingly supporting its integration through broader funding initiatives focused on access, infrastructure, workforce, and digital innovation. While relatively few opportunities are labeled explicitly as telehealth grants, many current federal funding streams incorporate telehealth as a key strategy to improve care delivery, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

In early March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued 30 warning letters to telehealth companies regarding the illegal marketing of compounded GLP-1 drugs, signaling continued and heightened federal scrutiny of advertising practices. According to the FDA’s March 3, 2026 press release, the agency identified false and misleading claims on telehealth and pharmaceutical company websites related to compounded GLP-1 products, drugs commonly used for weight loss and diabetes management.

As has been reported in previous editions of CCHP’s weekly #TelehealthTuesday emails, including last week’s March newsletter, the Medicare telehealth waivers were extended through December 31, 2027 as a result of the passage of HR 7148 – The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. However, the extension was not the only important telehealth-related item in HR 7148.  The bill also contained several policies that may be new and unfamiliar since they have not previously appeared within existing federal telehealth policy. Below we will highlight four independent items within HR 7148 that readers may want to review.