Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for c…
The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 amends Medicare (Title XVIII) to expand coverage and use of telehealth by removing the pre-COVID geographic restrictions, broadening where and by whom telehealth may be furnished, and extending certain telehealth payment rules for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Native American health facilities. It repeals the six-month in-person visit requirement for certain telemental health services, allows telehealth for hospice recertification, creates a waiver authority for expanding practitioner types eligible to furnish telehealth, and codifies emergency-period telehealth waivers.
Access versus cost/federal spending: liberals emphasize access and equity; conservatives emphasize uncontrolled Medicare spending and demand offsets.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-targeted substantive policy change that directly amends the Social Security Act to expand Medicare telehealth coverage, payment rules, and related oversight and reporting requirements.
The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 amends Medicare (Title XVIII) to expand coverage and use of telehealth by removing the pre-COVID geographic restrictions, broadening where and by whom telehealth may be furnished, and extending certain telehealth payment rules for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and Native American health facilities.
It repeals the six-month in-person visit requirement for certain telemental health services, allows telehealth for hospice recertification, creates a waiver authority for expanding practitioner types eligible to furnish telehealth, and codifies emergency-period telehealth waivers.
The bill also includes program-integrity provisions (clarifies fraud/abuse rules for devices provided to beneficiaries, authorizes Inspector General funding, and requires identification/education for outlier telehealth billing), and establishes beneficiary/provider supports, quality-measurement work, reporting, and public data posting requirements.
On content alone, the bill is a focused and administratively detailed effort to make telehealth expansions more permanent while adding oversight and reporting—features that increase its bipartisan appeal. However, nontrivial potential fiscal effects, the need for CBO scoring and offsets or pay‑fors, and Senate procedural realities lower the odds. The inclusion of integrity safeguards, GAO review, and phased/conditional elements improves its prospects but does not eliminate budgetary and Senate consensus barriers.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-targeted substantive policy change that directly amends the Social Security Act to expand Medicare telehealth coverage, payment rules, and related oversight and reporting requirements. It includes concrete statutory amendments, timelines for many actions, and multiple accountability mechanisms.
Access versus cost/federal spending: liberals emphasize access and equity; conservatives emphasize uncontrolled Medicare spending and demand offsets.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Access versus cost/federal spending: liberals emphasize access and equity; conservatives emphasize uncontrolled Medicare spending and demand offsets.
A mainstream liberal would likely view this bill largely positively as a step to preserve and expand telehealth access in Medicare—especially for rural, mobility-limited, low-income, and Native American populations.
They would see equity-oriented provisions (accessibility guidance, FQHC/RHC treatment, Native American facility exemptions, attention to limited English proficiency and disability access) as important.
They would also welcome program-integrity and quality-measure provisions, while wanting stronger assurances on enforcement, affordability, and equitable broadband/digital access.
A centrist/ pragmatic perspective would generally favor the bill's objective of making the telehealth expansions permanent while appreciating the inclusion of program-integrity, quality-measurement, and reporting requirements.
They will support both access improvements and built-in oversight, but will be watchful about fiscal implications, administrative complexity, and potential unintended incentives.
The centrist will emphasize measured implementation, evaluation, and periodic review (which the bill includes) and will want clear cost estimates and performance metrics.
A mainstream conservative would view the bill with caution: they may appreciate improved access for rural and mobility-limited beneficiaries but will be concerned about expanded federal authority, potential cost growth, fraud risk, and federal intrusion into practitioner scope-of-practice.
The waiver authority to broaden practitioner eligibility, new appropriations and undefined 'such sums as necessary,' and removal of certain in-person requirements are likely to be the primary objections.
If the bill had stronger fiscal limits and sharper integrity guardrails, some conservatives might accept limited parts of it.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
On content alone, the bill is a focused and administratively detailed effort to make telehealth expansions more permanent while adding oversight and reporting—features that increase its bipartisan appeal. However, nontrivial potential fiscal effects, the need for CBO scoring and offsets or pay‑fors, and Senate procedural realities lower the odds. The inclusion of integrity safeguards, GAO review, and phased/conditional elements improves its prospects but does not eliminate budgetary and Senate consensus barriers.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Access versus cost/federal spending: liberals emphasize access and equity; conservatives emphasize uncontrolled Medicare spending and deman…
On content alone, the bill is a focused and administratively detailed effort to make telehealth expansions more permanent while adding over…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-targeted substantive policy change that directly amends the Social Security Act to expand Medicare telehealth coverage, payment rules, and related oversight…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.