Resources & Reports

CCHP’s October newsletter is here! This month’s topics include – MEDICARE: Telehealth Policy – Where Do We Stand Post-Waiver Expiration?; NEW(ish):  MONTHLY COLUMN IN THE CCHP NEWSLETTER; Federal Agencies and Congress Turn Their Attention to AI in Health Care; Ethical and Professional Perspectives on Telehealth: Insights from ACOG and AOA; ATA Launches Digital Infrastructure Score to Benchmark Community Readiness for Telehealth; Study Finds Gaps in Same-Day Mental Health Access for Telehealth Patients; Latest Developments in CCHP’s Telehealth Policy Finder.

The expiration of the Medicare telehealth waivers on September 30, 2025, has created significant uncertainty for providers as longstanding flexibilities have been scaled back or altered. While Congress continues to negotiate a government funding package that may reinstate some of these flexibilities, permanent statutory restrictions are now in effect layered with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’ guidance that is at times ambiguous or unclear. As a result, providers are facing complex questions regarding in-person visit requirements, billing procedures, and the applicability of policies across different care settings. As a result, CCHP has created two new resource documents in an effort to add some clarity to the currently quite complex landscape.

1. FAQ Document:  outlines common questions CCHP has received in regard to telehealth, including mental health and FQHC/RHC information.
2. Summary Chart:  outlines current permanent telehealth policy as CCHP understands it today, with accompanying source citations and insights.

Today, September 30^th, is the last day before the Medicare telehealth waivers expire, unless Congress is able to pass an extension before midnight tonight. As many readers are already aware, on March 14, 2025, the federal telehealth waivers applicable to Medicare, which have been in place since the pandemic, were extended for an additional six months, until September 30, 2025. In recent weeks, several proposed extensions of these waivers have been made within recent budget talks. If no final deal materializes, the result will not only be an expiration of the Medicare telehealth waivers, but a federal government shutdown.

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.