It’s been a few weeks since Medicare telehealth flexibilities expired, and across the U.S., patients are experiencing the effects of these changes.
Northern California resident, Charis Hill, learned on Oct. 7 that Medicare would no longer cover telehealth visits. Hill, who had regular virtual sessions with their doctor to manage ankylosing spondylitis, was told to schedule an in-person appointment instead — despite being immunocompromised.
“I am worried that if I can’t find a solution that will allow me to continue getting care via telehealth I’ll lose access to my specialist, and then lose access to medications and treatment that slow the progression” of the illness, Hill said in a recent article. “This disproportionately impacts disabled people who have been fighting for years to have equitable access to health care. Telehealth has improved lives for millions of people, especially people who have become disabled by long COVID.”
More than 4 million Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth services during the first half of 2025, according to Stateline, and those patients are now at risk of losing their coverage. Older patients on Medicare, especially in rural communities, rely heavily on telehealth services for their medical appointments.
It’s not just Medicare patients being affected. According to Alexis Apple, director of federal affairs for the American Telehealth Association, there have been reports of insurance companies turning down non-Medicare telehealth services as well.
“I’m not really sure what’s happening, but it’s unfortunate and very scary. There’s so much uncertainty out there now, and we see insurance payers start to pull back,” Apple was quoted saying in Stateline.
Providers and patients alike are facing this very real fear. People are unsure if they will still be able to receive the treatment they need. Many patients cannot leave their homes for health care appointments due to disabilities and/or distance. In some rural communities, there are no in-person healthcare facilities within a reasonable radius available for certain niche health providers.
“In many parts of Virginia, especially rural communities, the choice isn’t between in-person and virtual care — it’s between getting care at all or going without,” said Mara Servaites, MSW, Executive Director, Virginia Telehealth Network.
Community health centers in rural Virginia are also at financial risk because of expired legislation and the recent government shutdown. According to Virginia Community Healthcare Association CEO Tracy Douglas, more than 400,000 Virginians rely on CHC’s every year.
Representative for Virginia’s 9th District Morgan Griffith spoke with WSLS about the impact of the funding lapse.
“We made certain exceptions during COVID for telemedicine. Well, that’s gone. Both our hospitals and our community health centers have been using more telemedicine, which is fabulous for a rural community,” Griffith said. “It’s one of those things where some of it was authorized previously, some of its temporary authorization. But we lost some of the authorization for telemedicine. And that’s devastating to a lot of communities in Southwest Virginia…”
Learn more about expired legislation and how to prepare in this recent VTN blog.
Additional Resources:
- New Medicare Telehealth Guidance from CMS
- Virginia Medicaid Announces Telehealth Flexibility Continues
- The Telehealth Policy Cliff: Preparing for October 1, 2025 (MATRC)
- Virginia Medicaid Announces Telehealth Flexibility Continues
- Medicare and Mental Health Coverage, a guide on telemental health in-person requirements now in effect (CMS)