Medicare Telehealth Coverage Will Likely Be Extended By Congress: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
COVID-era exceptions for telehealth coverage under Medicare are set to expire in 2024.


Health insurance coverage is notoriously complicated to navigate, but an expanded Medicare telehealth benefit passed by Congress during COVID simplified the process. As this popular benefit is set to expire, Congress is looking to act quickly. To help you understand what is going on and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly-experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest...
Congress is likely to expand Medicare coverage for telehealth services. A Senate measure would make COVID-era telehealth flexibility permanent, removing all geographic restrictions on such services and expanding originating sites to include a patient’s home and certain clinical sites, among other provisions. The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies for Health Act (or the CONNECT for Health Act) has a whopping 59 cosponsors: 30 Republicans, 26 Democrats and three independents (who caucus with Dems).
Telehealth use surged during the pandemic when many legal restrictions were waived by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Older adults and folks from underserved communities benefited the most from expanded access. But temporary pandemic-era telehealth flexibility is set to expire at the end of 2024. Telehealth advocates have been pushing hard for Congress to act.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Related Content
- 11 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Should Avoid Making
- What You Must Know About the Different Parts of Medicare
- Medicare Now Covers Telehealth, Thanks to This Pandemic
- What Retirees Must Know About Telehealth
- Medicare Checklist: Avoid Costly Enrollment Mistakes
- Is a Medicare Advantage Plan Right for You?
- 5 Telehealth Stocks for Long-Term Financial Fitness
- Health Care Cost Basics: What They Are and Ways to Save
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Sean Lengell covers Congress and government policy for The Kiplinger Letter. Before joining Kiplinger in January 2017 he served as a congressional reporter for eight years with the Washington Examiner and the Washington Times. He previously covered local news for the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune. A native of northern Illinois who spent much of his youth in St. Petersburg, Fla., he holds a bachelor's degree in English from Marquette University.
-
Travel Trends You Can Expect This Summer
The Kiplinger Letter Domestic trips will trump foreign travel amid economic uncertainties, though some costs are down.
-
AI Goes To School
The Kiplinger Letter Artificial intelligence is rapidly heading to K-12 classrooms nationwide. Expect tech companies to cash in on the fast-emerging trend.
-
The IRS is in Chaos
The Tax Letter DOGE, departures, data agreements and more are creating havoc at the IRS.
-
Trump's Second 100 Days
The Kiplinger Letter President Trump's agenda faces legal and legislative roadblocks.
-
The Economic Impact of the US-China Trade War
The Letter The US-China trade war will impact US consumers and business. The decoupling process could be messy.
-
Trump Dials Back Most Tariffs but Targets China
The Kiplinger Letter Wall Street hopes that higher tariffs on most countries are on hold for good. But the trade war between the U.S. and China is heating up.
-
Trump's Sweeping New Tariffs Rattle Wall Street, Main Street
The Kiplinger Letter Trump is promising that the short-term pain of steep new tariffs on imports will spark a manufacturing renaissance. But they pose major risks in the near term.
-
Congressional Republicans Tackle Trump's Agenda
The Kiplinger Letter Despite slim majorities in both chambers, the GOP is gearing up to overhaul taxes, border security and more.