CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Medicare recipients may soon see a significant shift in their telehealth benefits with key services set to expire at the start of April. Posts have circulated on social media about what changes are coming to Medicare coverage. So what do customers need to know?
Let’s verify.
THE QUESTION:
There are numerous reports on social media that Medicare is eliminating telehealth services as of April 1. Is this true?
OUR SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
Yes, Medicare telehealth services are set to expire on April 1, 2025, unless further action is taken by Congress.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Telehealth services for Medicare recipients were originally set to expire on December 31, 2024. However, at the end of last year, U.S. Congress passed the American Relief Act, which was signed into law by former President Joe Biden. This legislation kept the government funded through mid-March 2025 and included a short-term extension on Medicare telehealth flexibilities, which is scheduled to end on March 31, 2025.
According to the Medicare website, starting April 1, 2025, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area for most telehealth services. There are some exceptions to this rule including:
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Monthly End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) visits for home dialysis
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Services for diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of symptoms of an acute stroke wherever you are, including in a mobile stroke unit
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Services for the diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a mental and/or behavioral health disorder (including a substance use disorder) in your home
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