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
To continue reading this article
please register for free
This is different from signing in to your print subscription
Why am I seeing this? Find out more here
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.
-
How to Help Your Kids Without Ruining Your Retirement
Here are some general considerations to ensure the gift of assets to your kids will not negatively affect your financial future.
By Mario Hernandez Published
-
AI to Power the Next Generation of Robots
The Kiplinger Letter There's increasing buzz that the tech behind ChatGPT will make future industrial and humanoid robots far more capable.
By John Miley Published
-
Tax Tips for Transferring Excess 529 Plan Funds to Roth IRAs: The Tax Letter
The Tax Letter 529 plans can help blunt the cost of paying for college. But if you want to use leftover funds there are some tax tips to bear in mind.
By Joy Taylor Published
-
Who Will Replace Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican Leader?
The Kiplinger Letter The runners and riders to replace Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader are lining up...
By Sean Lengell Published
-
Top 10 Tax Expenditures in 2024: The Tax Letter
The Tax Letter Costly tax breaks will likely come under scrutiny from lawmakers trying to reduce the national debt. We review the 10 largest individual tax expenditures.
By Joy Taylor Published
-
Odds of Republicans Retaking the Senate Gain Momentum: The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter With the Democrats facing an uphill task, all eyes are on the Republicans in the race to take the Senate.
By Sean Lengell Published
-
H-1B Work Visa Rules Get a Revamp
The Kiplinger Letter H-1B visas allow employers to hire high-skilled foreign workers. Regulators have finalized new rules for this visa program following last fall's proposal.
By Matthew Housiaux Published
-
When's the Best Time to Buy a Domestic Flight? The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter A new study by CheapAir.com has crunched the numbers.
By Sean Lengell Published
-
Congress is Busy. And Dysfunctional.
The Kiplinger Letter With important must-pass legislation up against intraparty fighting, the question is whether dysfunction or democracy will win.
By Sean Lengell Published
-
Woes Continue for Banking Sector: The Kiplinger Letter
The Kiplinger Letter Regional bank stocks were hammered recently after news of New York Community Bank’s big fourth-quarter loss.
By Rodrigo Sermeño Published