Essential telehealth provisions are set to expire on September 20th 2025. Congress needs to hear from all of us that telehealth saves lives.  The “CONNECT for Health Act of 2025” (S.1261), introduced in the Senate, directly addresses the long-term expansion of telehealth by:

 

• Removing geographic restrictions for telehealth services.
   

• Expanding eligible originating sites.
   

• Widening the range of providers allowed to deliver telehealth.
   

• Eliminating the six-month in-person requirement for telemental health.
   

• Providing additional flexibilities for rural health clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and Native American health facilities.

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The bill’s intent is to make many of the current pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities permanent, ensuring continued and future access for Medicare beneficiaries and expanding coverage for more providers

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Help us advocate today!

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You can reach out to your representatives by searching here and here.​

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Here is a simple script to use when making a call (you can ask to be transferred to the person in charge of health policy or speak to whoever answers your call):

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"Hi, this is { Your Name }. I am a constituent. 

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I’m calling to discuss telemedicine and how it impacts our community. The Connect for Health Act, (H.R. 4206/S. 1261), will make telehealth permanent.

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Telemedicine is lifesaving for people with ME/CFS and other chronic diseases and disabilities, and it makes healthcare more equitable, accessible, and affordable.

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I am asking for your support in continuing the expanded coverage of telehealth by medicare. 

 

Thank you for your time and consideration."

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If you don’t have the capacity to call, an email can also help! It doesn’t matter how you reach out. It just matters that we voice our need for telemedicine access to continue!