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Top Telehealth News
GOP Bill Extends Telehealth Flexibilities, Sidesteps ACA Subsidies (Source: Healthcare Dive) Telehealth groups and providers have been urging lawmakers to take action for weeks, arguing that patients rely on telehealth services and providers need clarity on Medicare policy. The flexibilities, popular with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, were enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic to preserve access to care. Previously, coverage of telehealth in Medicare was largely restricted to beneficiaries living in rural areas or to certain types of facilities or services. ATA Launches New Digital Readiness Benchmarking Tool (Source: TechTarget) The American Telemedicine Association, or ATA, has released an enhanced benchmarking tool to measure U.S. communities' digital readiness. The Digital Infrastructure Score and Mapping tool is an upgraded version of the ATA digital infrastructure assessment tool launched in 2023. The new tool will assess whether certain areas are equipped to adopt digital and virtual care technologies by gathering various infrastructure measures, including broadband access, internet speed and device availability, and applying relative weights to the combined data. Telehealth Disparities Persist Among Rural US Adults (Source: TechTarget) New research shows telehealth access barriers persist within rural populations, especially for older and minority adults and those who speak Spanish. Published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the research aimed to assess the demographic characteristics of U.S. adults in rural areas and their use of telehealth.
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Recent TRC Resources
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| The Telehealth Policy Cliff: Preparing For October 1, 2025 (Created by NCTRC) |
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The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) has updated the Telehealth Policy Cliff blog post. On October 1, 2025, many of the telehealth flexibilities created during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency are set to expire unless Congress takes action. This “telehealth policy cliff” would reinstate pre-pandemic restrictions, including limits on Medicare reimbursement for home-based care, the end of Hospital at Home waivers, and tighter rules on prescribing controlled substances. FQHCs and RHCs could also lose their ability to serve as distant-site providers, and certain clinicians—like therapists and audiologists—would no longer be eligible to deliver telehealth under Medicare. Tele-mental health would face new in-person visit requirements, creating additional access challenges. This blog post prepares organizations now by assessing risks, planning patient communications, and identifying alternatives to minimize disruption. For more information, read the full blog post. |
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| Exploring What Medicare Telehealth Policy Could Look Like Post-September 30: A Newsletter Series (Created by CCHP) |
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Earlier this summer, the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) ran a four-part series in their weekly #TelehealthTuesday newsletter exploring what Medicare telehealth policy could look like if the current temporary waivers expire as scheduled. Each article examined the interplay between a potential expiration on September 30 and the proposals outlined in CMS’s proposed 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), released in July. The series highlighted several key areas: Stay tuned to CCHP’s #TelehealthTuesday updates for additional developments.
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| Telepsychiatry Webinar (Created by SWTRC) |
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The Southwest Telehealth Resource Center (SWTRC) recently hosted a webinar on Telepsychiatry. The webinar had the following outcome objectives -
- Describe three benefits of telepsychiatry services for providers and patients.
- Explain two best practices for the provision of care via telehealth for MOUD (Medications for Opioid Use Disorder).
- Identify three telemedicine clinical challenges and methods to overcome them.
- Name one way to mitigate fraud when providing home-based telehealth services.
- Describe how telepsychiatry can assist in assessment of suicide risk.
For more information, view the full webinar and presentation slides. |
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Upcoming Telehealth Events
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| Successfully Leading Change: Telehealth A Three-Part Series |
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The Southwest Telehealth Resource Center (SWTRC) is hosting a three-part webinar series on successfully leading change in telehealth. Change is hard for EVERYONE! Even you and me! And a specific change may be really hard for me and easy for you, another can be the opposite. If you’re asking physicians to provide care by video instead of in person, some will have NO interest! This webinar will be a workshop where you will work on some skills to help you become more successful in asking clinicians to provide care differently! Register for each of the sessions below.
Session 1 (September 25) REGISTER HERE >
Session 2 (October 23) REGISTER HERE >
Session 3 (November 20) REGISTER HERE > |
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| New Initiatives In Nutrition Services Via Telehealth: MNT & DSMT |
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The Southwest Telehealth Resource Center (SWTRC) will host this webinar on Tuesday, September 30 from 12 - 1 PM PT. Discover what’s new in telehealth for nutrition services. This webinar will share practical strategies, policy updates, and innovative care models to help MNT and DSMT providers expand access, improve engagement, and strengthen programs.
REGISTER HERE > |
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| ATA EDGE 2025 Policy Conference |
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There’s a lot happening in Washington right now—and it’s reshaping virtual care. New policies. Shifting priorities. Big decisions. A new era of telehealth is being written in real time—and now is the time to make virtual care permanent. Join us at ATA EDGE 2025, the nation’s premier digital health policy forum, where healthcare leaders, policymakers, and innovators come together to cut through the noise and shape what’s next. From emerging regulations to long-term strategy, EDGE is where it all comes into focus—and where you need to be. The event will take place in Washington DC from December 10 - 12, 2025.
REGISTER HERE > |
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For more TRC events, view our events page!
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NCTRC Webinar Series
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| Our webinar series provides informative and educational material on all things telehealth related. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here. |
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The NCTRC hosts an educational webinar every 3rd Thursday of the month from 11 AM - 12 PM PT.
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