Senator Grassley wrote legislation to expand telehealth coverage during the pandemic and make it permanent for Medicare recipients and Iowans served by the state’s 82 Critical Access Hospitals.
Make expanded telehealth coverage permanent for Medicare recipients and Iowans served by Critical Access Hospitals.
Occurrences
Evidence
CMS says it will continue to pay Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers for non-behavioral and non-mental telehealth services through December 31, 2026, and that it now treats services added to the Medicare telehealth list as permanent. The booklet also states that CAH Method II telehealth claims can be billed under existing Medicare rules, including the GT modifier and 80% of the PFS distant site facility amount.
Medicare.gov says Medicare Part B covers certain telehealth services and that, through December 31, 2027, Medicare covers telehealth services that beneficiaries can get from anywhere in the U.S., including their home.
Assessments
The promised outcome was to make expanded telehealth coverage permanent for Medicare recipients and Iowans served by Critical Access Hospitals. The evidence shows Medicare telehealth flexibilities remain time-limited, with broad home-based access extended only through December 31, 2027, and some related rural/clinic telehealth payment rules continuing through December 31, 2026 or made permanent only for specific service-list treatment. That falls short of a permanent expanded coverage guarantee. The supplied evidence does not establish that Grassley made a serious legislative or executive attempt that failed, so no effort badge is warranted.