Telehealth Policy Update, Telehealth for Emergency Preparedness, and more OAT announcements!

HRSA sent this bulletin at 01/07/2025 02:00 PM EST

Office for the Advancement of Telehealth

Announcements

January 7, 2025

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Telehealth Policy Update

Recent legislation authorized an extension of many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities. This includes:

Waiving geographic and originating site requirements through March 31, 2025.
Expanding practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services through March 31, 2025.
Allowing Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to serve as distant site providers through March 31, 2025.
Delaying in-person requirements for tele-mental health services through April 1, 2025.
Allowing audio-only telehealth through March 31, 2025.

Other recent updates include Medicare telehealth policies in the Calendar Year 2025 Physician Fee Schedule and a temporary extension for prescribing controlled substances via telehealth.

Explore telehealth resources

Telehealth for Emergency Preparedness Best Practice Guide

Telehealth is an important tool for providing medical care during an emergency, such as a natural disaster. Use this best practice guide to learn how to integrate telehealth into emergency preparedness plans.

View the Best Practice Guide

Creating an Emergency Plan for Regular Telehealth Visits

Patients seen through telehealth have visits outside the safety and control of an office setting. Learn how to plan for an emergency situation during a telehealth appointment.

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Telehealth Research Recap: Quality of Care

This research recap summarizes studies on the quality of care and outcomes for telehealth services.

Read the Research Recap

Patient Resource: Can I Use Telehealth for Emergency Care?

Telehealth can be used to get emergency medical care right away. Share this resource with patients so they can learn the ways that telehealth can support care during medical emergencies.

View the resource