HEALTH Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The HEALTH Act of 2025 makes several Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent for federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. It amends section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act to define telecommunications system, except where otherwise provided, as a two-way, real-time interactive communications system using audiovisual or audio-only communications. Within 60 days, HHS must revise Medicare regulations to match that definition and to provide cost-related payment treatment for distant-site telehealth services furnished by FQHCs and RHCs. The bill also permanently removes originating-site facility and location requirements for those centers and clinics when furnishing distant-site telehealth services. The practical effect is to keep FQHC and RHC telehealth reimbursement and access rules from snapping back to narrower geographic or facility restrictions.
Who Benefits and How
Federally qualified health centers benefit because Medicare telehealth services receive permanent cost-related payment treatment. Rural health clinics benefit because distant-site telehealth no longer depends on temporary location and originating-site waivers. Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas benefit from continued access to audio-only or audiovisual telehealth through local clinics. Patients using safety-net clinics benefit because FQHCs and RHCs can keep telehealth as a Medicare service option.
Who Bears the Burden and How
HHS Medicare rulemaking staff must revise telehealth regulations within 60 days. CMS payment systems staff must implement permanent FQHC and RHC cost-related telehealth payment rules. FQHC billing offices must document distant-site services under the revised Medicare rules. Federal taxpayers bear Medicare spending from permanent telehealth reimbursement for covered clinics.
Key Provisions
- Defines interactive telecommunications systems to include audiovisual and audio-only real-time communications.
- Requires HHS telehealth regulatory revisions within 60 days.
- Provides permanent cost-related Medicare payments for FQHC and RHC telehealth services.
- Removes originating-site facility and location requirements for distant-site services by those centers and clinics.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Permanently requires cost-related Medicare payments for telehealth services furnished by federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics and permanently removes originating-site facility and location limits for their distant-site telehealth services, while defining interactive telecommunications systems to include audiovisual or audio-only real-time communications and requiring HHS regulatory revisions within 60 days.
Key Policy Areas
Medicare, Telehealth, Rural Health
Primary Purpose
Permanently requires cost-related Medicare payments for telehealth services furnished by federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics and permanently removes originating-site facility and location limits for their distant-site telehealth services, while defining interactive telecommunications systems to include audiovisual or audio-only real-time communications and requiring HHS regulatory revisions within 60 days.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Federally qualified health centers
- Rural health clinics
- Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas
- Patients using safety-net clinics
Identified Costs
- HHS Medicare rulemaking staff
- CMS payment systems staff
- FQHC billing offices
- Federal taxpayers
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Ms. Tokuda) introduced …
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in …
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Federally qualified health centers, Rural health clinics
Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas, Patients using safety-net clinics
CMS payment systems staff, HHS Medicare rulemaking staff
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology