Resources & Reports

Obesity has long been recognized as one of the most pressing public health issues in the United States, and today its intersection with telehealth is gaining new significance. With the rise of anti-obesity medications (AOMs), particularly GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, more patients are turning to virtual platforms to access treatment, counseling, and long-term management.  GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking the effects of the naturally occurring hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, which helps regulate appetite and blood sugar. By slowing gastric emptying, increasing feelings of fullness, and reducing food intake, these medications have been shown to produce substantial and sustained weight loss in many patients.  Meanwhile, new data from FAIR Health’s Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, which was featured in a PR Newswire article in mid-September, revealed that obesity re-entered the top five telehealth diagnostic categories nationally in June 2025, after first appearing in the tracker in February of this year.

The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, which was included in HR 1 and passed earlier this year, will provide $50 billion in funding over a five year period, to help states improve healthcare access, quality and outcomes in rural communities.  Administered through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) was released just yesterday, further informing states of the application process and funding requirements. Additionally, CMS has created a webpage devoted to this program.

CCHP’s September Newsletter is here! This month’s topics include – IMLCC Year 8 Data Study Highlights Physician Licensure Trends; When Health Care Shortages and Broadband Deserts Collide; CMS Proposes Virtual Flexibilities for the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program; Anthem to End Telehealth Coverage for 173 Services Under Federal Employee Plans; Latest Developments in CCHP’s Telehealth Policy Finder; Remote CBT Programs Show Benefits for Chronic Pain Management.

This edition of The Center for Connected Health Policy’s (CCHP) weekly #TelehealthTuesday is the final edition of our special series on what the Medicare telehealth landscape would look like should the federal Medicare temporary telehealth waivers expire, as they are now set to do on September 30, 2025. While there is still time for some action that could change what is laid out below, as of today, this is the current state of the policies. Additionally, each newsletter in this series has also taken into consideration the impacts of the proposals that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) made within the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), if they are adopted as proposed (see CCHP’s fact sheet on the 2026 PFS proposals). In this particular edition, which is focusing on eligible services and audio-only, the 2026 PFS proposals would play a significant role.

And, the special series continues!  In case you haven’t yet seen, this summer the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is running a series in our weekly #TelehealthTuesday newsletters on what Medicare telehealth policy could look like if the current temporary waivers expire as scheduled on September 30, 2025.

Each article in this series takes into account both:

• The potential expiration of the current Medicare telehealth waivers September 30, 2025, and
• The proposals included in the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), as released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in July 2025 (assuming they are finalized without major changes).