Waivers that have allowed the use of telehealth visits to meet face-to-face encounter requirements expired as of Feb. 1, 2026.
 
A delay in passing a budget measure in Congress means physician telehealth visits wouldn’t qualify as a face-to-face encounter for the purposes of certifying a patient for home health services.
 
The budget package currently under consideration in the House would resume those telehealth flexibilities and extend them through Dec. 31, 2027. It’s expected that the extension would be retroactive to Feb. 1, but that is not guaranteed.
 
For hospice providers, the new proposed language would extend telehealth for recertification until Dec. 31, 2027, but there would be new exceptions.
 
Telehealth for hospice recertification would not be available:
  • If the patient is located in an area that is subject to a moratorium on the enrollment of hospice programs.
  • If the patient is receiving hospice care from a provider that is subject to the Provisional Period of Enhanced Oversight (PPEO).
  • If the provider performing the visit is a hospice physician or nurse practitioner who is not enrolled in Medicare and is not an opt-out physician or practitioner.