Resources & Reports

Last week, after agreeing to a deal to end the federal government shutdown, Congress passed a continuing resolution that would reopen the government, at least through January 30, 2026.  Within the continuing resolution package was an extension of the Medicare telehealth waivers, which had previously expired on October 1, 2025 (NOTE: The package contained several divisions, however the link provided in this newsletter only goes to the section containing the telehealth items).  In the passed legislation, the telehealth waivers that had expired will now be extended through January 30, 2026.

CCHP’s November newsletter is here! This month’s topics include – Final 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule – CCHP Releases Analysis of Telehealth Policies; Medicare Telehealth Policy Remains in Flux; Two Long-Awaited Licensure Compacts Go Live: ASLP-IC and the Counseling Compact; VA Finalizes Telehealth Practice Rule, Clarifies Federal Preemption and Controlled-Substance Standards; 50 State Telehealth Policy Report Release & Winter Update of CCHP’s Telehealth Policy Finder; Study Finds Virtual Transition-of-Care Clinics Reduce 30-Day Readmissions by 26%.

While Medicare telehealth reimbursement policies remain top-of-mind given the expiration of statutory expansions as of October 1, 2025 (see CCHP’s most recent newsletters for more information), questions regarding licensure policies applicable to the use of telehealth across state lines continue to be forefront for many stakeholders. Although policies around licensure are typically regulated by the state (which CCHP tracks in its Policy Finder), a recent report by Johns Hopkins University, titled Summary of Cross-State Telehealth Advocacy Framework, and featured in an accompanying Hopkins news article, instead urges a national approach to licensure in order to address the large variance in allowances at the state level.

The Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP)is pleased to announce the release of its 2025 State Telehealth Policy Summary. Alongside the report, CCHP has also published a companionchart that outlines how states compare across a range of telehealth policies, as well as aninfographic capturing the major findings. For those seeking state-specific details, the most up-to-date information can always be accessed and exported as a PDF directly from CCHP’s online Policy Finder tool. This edition reflects CCHP’s review of states conducted between late May and early September 2025.In some cases, states may have enacted significant legislation or implemented new policies after their respective review date; in which case, those changes will be reflected in future Policy Finder updates.

A recent Journal of General Internal Medicine study, Comparative Analysis of Clinical Outcomes Related to Telehealth and In-Person Encounters Among Older Veterans with Diabetes, found that telehealth can lead to improved patient satisfaction, continuity of care, and clinical outcomes. The study assessed Veterans Health Administration data from 2019-2021 to examine the use of hybrid telehealth, which is telehealth-based care in addition to in-person care, for chronic disease management. As noted in a Bioengineer article discussing the study, telehealth has emerged as a critical modality for delivering healthcare to the veteran population, who often reside in rural areas with limited access to conventional, in-person medical services. Moreover, telehealth offers a realistic solution to the mobility challenges often experienced by this demographic.