As 2024 comes to a close, the telehealth space continues to be uncharted territory. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the ability to deliver telehealth expanded as providers sought to provide quality care unrestricted by physical, in-person requirements. Now, the issue has shifted to the other side of the telemedicine coin: Following this rapid expansion, facilitated by a plethora of telemedicine flexibilities set forth in state and federal law, is Congress ready to pass laws that make these flexibilities permanent? Without any congressional action, the telehealth world is set to revert back to a pre-COVID-19 framework on January 1, 2025, where specifically for Medicare patients, with few exceptions including some for rural areas, patients can no longer receive telehealth in their homes.
