A new Change.org campaign urging Medicare recipients to continue these essential services past the March 31st deadline is raising significant concerns and advocacy. These changes are especially significant for people in rural areas and with limited mobility who depend heavily on remote health care.
Telehealth: Accessibility is Important for Vulnerable Groups
Medicare provides health care for over 66 million Americans. The COVID-19 epidemic proved to be a great opportunity for telehealth, particularly in areas with limited access to medical services. The loss of telehealth could have a disproportionate impact on these people, exacerbating healthcare disparities.
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Understanding the Petition & Proposed Legislation for Extending Medicare Telehealth Benefits
Colorado oncologist Robert Hoyer has started a campaign to keep Medicare from limiting home telehealth services starting 1 April. He argues that telehealth is essential for providing patients with cancer or other chronic illnesses continuous care. Telehealth reduces travel costs, eliminates lost work days, and lowers childcare costs, thus improving access to healthcare.
For patients who have a chronic illness or cancer, telehealth can be a valuable link between them and their healthcare team. Telehealth can also reduce the cost of travel, child care, and time away from work to attend medical appointments.
The petition asks Medicare to cover home telehealth services beyond April 1st 2025. It emphasizes the importance of providing continuous care in rural America and eliminating healthcare disparities. This petition attracted over 21,000 signatories, which reflects the wide support of telehealth.
Telehealth is also being protected through legislative initiatives. Ro Khanna, California Representative, introduced the Telehealth coverage Act to cover these services as part of Medicare. This was done in recognition of the impact that removing access would have on homebound seniors, people with mobility issues, and rural communities.
Why are we denying telehealth services to millions seniors that are housebound or have difficulty leaving home? Khanna questioned. It is especially devastating for rural Americans.
In response to pandemics, the expansion of Medicare Telehealth began under the Trump Administration. Virtual visits became a crucial component in healthcare delivery. Under President Biden’s leadership, this expansion became even more solidified with the passage by Congress of the American Relief Act (2025), which expanded the number of sites where telehealth services could be accessed and delayed the requirement that Medicare patients attend in person for mental health care.
Medicare patients are required, as of April 1, to receive care in a clinic or medical facility. Virtual services for home dialysis in the case of end-stage kidney disease, stroke treatment, mental health and behavioral disorders, are exempted.
What is the Potential Impact? Access to healthcare and patient outcomes
Medicare Telehealth in the Future: What to Expect After April 1st
Medicare beneficiaries will be required to visit medical facilities or offices in person for care after April 1, unless they have a condition that falls within the exclusions listed in the policies of continued coverage. It is possible that this shift will present a significant challenge for those who have become accustomed to the accessibility and convenience of telehealth.