Make expanded telehealth coverage permanent for Medicare recipients and Iowans served by Critical Access Hospitals.

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.

Grassley backs legislation to permanently extend telehealth coverage for Medicare recipients and patients served by Iowa Critical Access Hospitals.

Issues - Senator Chuck Grassley
campaign · campaign_site · model gpt-5.5

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.

CMS maintained and clarified telehealth billing rules, but this is not a statutory permanent expansion for all Medicare recipients or CAH-served Iowans; it shows continuing temporary coverage and some administrative permanency, not full delivery of the claim.

unresolved unknown

MLN901705 - Telehealth & Remote Monitoring
secondary · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 89%

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.

The federal telehealth policy remains time-limited through 2027 rather than made permanent, which weighs against the claim being delivered.

never unknown

Telehealth Insurance Coverage
secondary · model gpt-5.4-mini · confidence 95%

Q1 says beneficiaries can receive Medicare telehealth services anywhere through December 31, 2027; starting January 1, 2028, except for behavioral health services, beneficiaries generally need to be in a rural medical facility. Q3 says hospitals may bill certain remote services through December 31, 2027, but not after January 1, 2028.

CMS confirms broad Medicare telehealth flexibilities remain temporary through 2027, with post-2027 limits returning for most non-behavioral services. This falls short of permanent expanded coverage.

never unknown

Telehealth FAQ
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 98%

HHS says recent legislation extended many Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027. It also says Medicare patients can permanently receive behavioral or mental telehealth services at home with no geographic restrictions, while non-behavioral home access and expanded provider rules run only through December 31, 2027.

Some targeted Medicare telehealth policies are permanent, especially behavioral health, but the broader expanded coverage promised for Medicare recipients is still time-limited.

partial unknown

Medicare payment policies
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 96%

Section 6209 is titled Extension of certain telehealth flexibilities. It amends Social Security Act telehealth provisions by replacing ending January 30, 2026 with ending December 31, 2027 for geographic and originating-site flexibilities, expanded practitioners, and FQHC/RHC telehealth provisions.

The enacted 2026 law extended telehealth flexibilities but did not make them permanent, showing non-delivery of the full promise.

never same_term

H.R.7148 Enrolled Bill - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 98%

The Senate vote was on passage of H.R. 7148, as amended. Vote result: Bill Passed, 71 yeas to 29 nays. The alphabetical vote list records Grassley (R-IA), Yea.

Grassley voted for the enacted bill that extended Medicare telehealth flexibilities through 2027. That is concrete effort and partial action, but it was not a permanent expansion.

partial same_term A for effort

U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 119th Congress - Vote 20 on H.R.7148
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 95%

Congress.gov lists S.1261 as the CONNECT for Health Act of 2025, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services. Its latest action was Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance on April 2, 2025; status: Introduced. Grassley is listed as an original cosponsor on April 2, 2025.

Grassley cosponsored a concrete bill aimed at Medicare telehealth expansion, but Congress.gov shows it remained introduced and not enacted as of the record searched.

never same_term A for effort

S.1261 - CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 96%

Grassley’s office said he joined a bipartisan group reintroducing the CONNECT for Health Act, which would expand Medicare telehealth coverage, make telehealth flexibilities permanent, remove geographic restrictions, expand originating sites to patient homes, and permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services.

The release documents Grassley’s effort to pursue the promised permanent expansion, while acknowledging current flexibilities still required congressional action and were not yet permanent.

unresolved same_term A for effort

Grassley, Colleagues Push to Expand Telehealth Access, Make Telehealth Flexibilities Permanent
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 93%