In late December 2024, the American Relief Act, 2025 became law to help continue telehealth services under Medicare. This Act includes a Continuing Resolution that keeps important federal programs and funding going until March 31, 2025. One key feature is a short-term extension of telehealth waivers that started during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). These waivers were set to end on December 31, 2024, but they will now be extended for another three months.
Key Provisions for Therapists
Temporary Waiver Extension Through March 31, 2025. The Act upholds several vital telehealth provisions, including:
- Medicare beneficiaries can continue accessing telehealth services without geographic restrictions, with patients’ homes remaining approved as originating sites.
- Physical Therapists (PTs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), and Speech-language Pathologists (SLPs) remain eligible to provide telehealth services and bill Medicare.
Anticipated Changes After March 2025
Reverting to Pre-PHE Rules On April 1, 2025, Medicare will return to its previous telehealth service rules unless new actions are taken.
- Eligibility Limitations: Medicare only allows certain healthcare providers such as Physicians, Nurse Practitioners (NP), Physician Assistants (PA), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), and Clinical Social Workers (CSW) to name a few. These providers can provide telehealth services to Medicare patients; however, therapists—PT, OTs, SLPs, and their assistants— are not included as approved providers under Medicare law for telehealth.
- CPT Code Usage: Although therapy-related CPT codes will still be on the approved list for telehealth, they will only apply to the eligible providers mentioned above.
Stay Updated: Regularly check updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other relevant bodies.
Participate in Advocacy: Collaborate with professional organizations to support legislative efforts for permanent inclusion in telehealth programs.
The American Relief Act, 2025, allows therapists to continue using telehealth under Medicare until March 31, 2025. This extension helps therapists provide care while pushing for policies that keep them involved in telehealth services in the future. It is important for therapists to remain active, informed, and engaged to effectively adapt to these changes.
Find the original Medicare Part B Therapy Services Changes for Fiscal Year 2025 Blog Series here.
LW Consulting, Inc. (LWCI) offers a comprehensive range of services that can assist your organization in maintaining compliance, identifying trends, providing education and training, or conducting documentation and coding audits. For more information, contact LWCI to connect with one of our experts!
