Congress enacts six-month Medicare telehealth waiver extension for OT

On Friday, Congress enacted a government funding package that included a 6-month extension of current Medicare telehealth waivers through September 30, 2025, although no action was taken to address Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) cuts that went into effect in January. Telehealth waivers were set to expire on March 31 which would have eliminated the vast majority of telehealth options for Medicare beneficiaries including access to occupational therapy (OT) via telehealth.

There is broad bi-partisan support to extend telehealth waivers in Congress, and a 2-year therapy telehealth waiver extension was even included as part of a package of healthcare bills developed by Congress last December. This package, which also included a provision to reverse MPFS cuts, was derailed by issues unrelated to Medicare or telehealth.

AOTA has lobbied for legislation that would establish occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) as permanent telehealth providers in Medicare and to extend existing waivers until a final policy is established. Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Adrian Smith (R-NE), have already reintroduced legislation, H.R.1614, which would make OTPs as well as other therapy providers permanent Medicare telehealth providers. In addition, AOTA is supporting efforts to reintroduce the Expanded Telehealth Access Act which would also establish OTPs as permanent Medicare telehealth providers as well as the Telehealth Modernization Act which would do the same while also addressing other essential telehealth policy changes. We will continue to work with Congressional champions as permanent telehealth policy is considered and to extend waivers beyond September if necessary.