Medicare coverage for telehealth is set to expire in a month

The “news”: Pandemic-era flexibilities that expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth services are set to expire on March 31. Telehealth advocates—including politicians, patient groups, healthcare providers, and tech companies—are hoping to convince congressional leaders to expand Medicare telehealth access for the long haul.

Catch up quick: Before the pandemic, Medicare covered telehealth only for rural residents and a limited range of medical services. Many of those restrictions were waived in March 2020, easing access to telehealth for seniors. Those waivers were extended several times under President Biden but are now set to expire.