Important Telehealth Updates for 2025
Mirean Coleman, LICSW, CT
Director of Clinical Practice
January 2025
During the COV-19 pandemic, Medicare expanded telehealth access by waiving geographic restrictions, broadening provider eligibility, and covering more services. Many of the telehealth waivers were scheduled to end on December 31, 2024.
Congress has intervened and approved the following telehealth updates through legislation, https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr10545/BILLS-118hr10545enr.pdf.
- Waiving geographic and originating site requirements through March 31, 2025.
- Expanding practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services through March 31, 2025.
- Allowing Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to serve as distant site providers through March 31, 2025.
- Delaying in-person requirements for tele-mental health services through April 1, 2025.
- Allowing audio-only telehealth through March 31, 2025.
For further information, clinical social workers should contact their Medicare Administrative Contractor or NASW at clinical.practice@socialworkers.org.