I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4206 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth 
services, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2025 
Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Ms. MATSUI, 
and Mr. BALDERSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand 
access to telehealth services, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective 
Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025’’ 
or the ‘‘CONNECT for Health Act of 2025’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings and sense of Congress. 
TITLE I—REMOVING BARRIERS TO TELEHEALTH COVERAGE 
Sec. 101. Removing geographic requirements for telehealth services. 
Sec. 102. Expanding originating sites. 
Sec. 103. Expanding authority for practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth 
services. 
Sec. 104. Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. 
Sec. 105. Native American health facilities. 
Sec. 106. Repeal of six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health 
services. 
Sec. 107. Waiver of telehealth requirements during public health emergencies. 
Sec. 108. Use of telehealth in recertification for hospice care. 
TITLE II—PROGRAM INTEGRITY 
Sec. 201. Clarification for fraud and abuse laws regarding technologies pro-
vided to beneficiaries. 
Sec. 202. Additional resources for telehealth oversight. 
Sec. 203. Addressing significant outlier billing patterns for telehealth services. 
TITLE III—BENEFICIARY AND PROVIDER SUPPORTS, QUALITY OF 
CARE, AND DATA 
Sec. 301. Beneficiary engagement on telehealth. 
Sec. 302. Provider supports on telehealth. 
Sec. 303. Ensuring the inclusion of telehealth in measuring quality of care. 
Sec. 304. Posting of information on telehealth services. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The use of technology in health care and 
coverage of telehealth services are rapidly evolving. 
(2) Research has found that telehealth services 
can expand access to care, improve the quality of 
care, and reduce spending. 
(3) In 2023, 90 percent of patients receiving 
telehealth services were satisfied with their experi-
ences. 
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(4) Health care workforce shortages are a sig-
nificant problem in many areas and for many types 
of health care clinicians. 
(5) Telehealth increases access to care in areas 
with workforce shortages and for individuals who 
live far away from health care facilities, have limited 
mobility or transportation, or have other barriers to 
accessing care. 
(6) The use of health technologies can strength-
en the expertise of the health care workforce, includ-
ing by connecting clinicians to specialty consulta-
tions. 
(7) Prior to the COVID–19 pandemic, the utili-
zation of telehealth services in the Medicare program 
under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) was low, accounting for 0.1 
percent of Medicare Part B visits in 2019. 
(8) Telehealth now represents a critical compo-
nent of care delivery. In 2023, 24 percent of Medi-
care fee-for-service beneficiaries received a telehealth 
service. 
(9) Long-term certainty about coverage of tele-
health services under the Medicare program is nec-
essary to fully realize the benefits of telehealth. 
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(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) health care providers can furnish safe, effec-
tive, and high-quality health care services through 
telehealth; 
(2) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices should promptly take all necessary measures to 
ensure that providers and beneficiaries can continue 
to furnish and utilize, respectively, telehealth serv-
ices in the Medicare program, and support recent 
modifications to the definition of ‘‘interactive tele-
communications system’’ in regulations and program 
instruction under the Medicare program to ensure 
that providers can utilize all appropriate means and 
types of technology, including audio-visual, audio- 
only, and other types of technologies, to furnish tele-
health services; and 
(3) barriers to the use of telehealth should be 
removed. 
TITLE I—REMOVING BARRIERS 
TO TELEHEALTH COVERAGE 
SEC. 101. REMOVING GEOGRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS FOR 
TELEHEALTH SERVICES. 
Section 1834(m)(4)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)(C)) is amended— 
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(1) in clause (i), in the matter preceding sub-
clause (I), by striking ‘‘clause (iii)’’ and inserting 
‘‘clauses (iii) and (iv)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(iv) REMOVAL OF GEOGRAPHIC RE-
QUIREMENTS.—The 
geographic 
require-
ments described in clause (i) shall not 
apply with respect to telehealth services 
furnished on or after October 1, 2025.’’. 
SEC. 102. EXPANDING ORIGINATING SITES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1834(m)(4)(C)(iii) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)(C)(iii)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘In the case that’’ and all that fol-
lows through ‘‘September 30, 2025,’’ and inserting ‘‘Be-
ginning on the date of the enactment of the CONNECT 
for Health Act of 2025,’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 1834(m) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B)(iii), by striking ‘‘In the 
case that’’ and all that follows through ‘‘September 
30, 2025,’’ and inserting ‘‘With respect to telehealth 
services furnished on or after the date of the enact-
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ment of the CONNECT for Health Act of 2025,’’; 
and 
(2) in paragraph (4)(C)(ii)(X), by striking ‘‘, 
but only for purposes of section 1881(b)(3)(B) or 
telehealth services described in paragraph (7)’’. 
SEC. 103. EXPANDING AUTHORITY FOR PRACTITIONERS EL-
IGIBLE TO FURNISH TELEHEALTH SERVICES. 
Section 1834(m)(4)(E) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)(E)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘PRACTITIONER.—The term’’ 
and inserting ‘‘PRACTITIONER.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Subject to clause 
(ii), the term’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(ii) EXPANDING PRACTITIONERS ELI-
GIBLE
TO
FURNISH
TELEHEALTH
SERV-
ICES.— 
‘‘(I) 
IN
GENERAL.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of this 
subsection, in the case of telehealth 
services furnished on or after October 
1, 2025, the Secretary may waive any 
limitation on the types of practitioners 
who are eligible to furnish telehealth 
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services if the Secretary determines 
that such waiver is clinically appro-
priate. 
‘‘(II) IMPLEMENTATION.—In im-
plementing a waiver under this clause, 
the Secretary may establish require-
ments, as appropriate, for practi-
tioners under such waiver, including 
with respect to beneficiary and pro-
gram integrity protections. 
‘‘(III) PUBLIC
COMMENT.—The 
Secretary shall establish a process by 
which stakeholders may (on at least 
an annual basis) provide public com-
ment on such waiver under this 
clause. 
‘‘(IV) PERIODIC
REVIEW.—The 
Secretary shall periodically, but not 
more frequently than every 3 years, 
reassess the waiver under this clause 
to determine whether such waiver con-
tinues to be clinically appropriate. The 
Secretary shall terminate any waiver 
that the Secretary determines is no 
longer clinically appropriate.’’. 
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SEC. 104. FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS AND 
RURAL HEALTH CLINICS. 
Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(m)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4)(C)(i), in the matter pre-
ceding subclause (I), by striking ‘‘and (7)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘(7), and (8)’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (8)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 
by striking ‘‘During’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘September 30, 2025’’ and insert-
ing the following: ‘‘Beginning on the first 
day of the emergency period described in 
section 1135(g)(1)(B)’’; 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(iii) by redesignating clause (iii) as 
clause (iv); and 
(iv) by inserting after clause (ii) the 
following new clause: 
‘‘(iii) the geographic requirements de-
scribed in paragraph (4)(C)(i) shall not 
apply with respect to such a telehealth 
service; and’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
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(i) in the subparagraph heading, by 
inserting ‘‘DURING INITIAL PERIOD’’ after 
‘‘RULE’’; 
(ii) in the first sentence of clause (i) 
by striking ‘‘during the periods for which 
subparagraph (A) applies’’ and inserting 
‘‘during the period beginning on the first 
day of the emergency period and ending on 
September 30, 2025’’; and 
(iii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘Costs 
associated’’ and inserting ‘‘During the pe-
riod for which clause (i) applies, costs as-
sociated’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) PAYMENT AFTER INITIAL PERIOD.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A telehealth serv-
ice furnished by a Federally qualified 
health center or a rural health clinic to an 
individual pursuant to this paragraph on 
or after October 1, 2025, shall be deemed 
to be so furnished to such individual as an 
outpatient of such clinic or facility (as ap-
plicable) for purposes of paragraph (1) or 
(3), respectively, of section 1861(aa) and 
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payable as a Federally qualified health cen-
ter service or rural health clinic service (as 
applicable) under the prospective payment 
system established under section 1834(o) 
or under section 1833(a)(3), respectively. 
‘‘(ii) TREATMENT
OF
COSTS
FOR 
FQHC
PPS
CALCULATIONS
AND
RHC
AIR 
CALCULATIONS.—Costs associated with the 
furnishing of telehealth services by a Fed-
erally qualified health center or rural 
health clinic serving as a distant site pur-
suant to this paragraph on or after Octo-
ber 1, 2025, shall be considered allowable 
costs for purposes of the prospective pay-
ment system established under section 
1834(o) and any payment methodologies 
developed under section 1833(a)(3), as ap-
plicable.’’. 
SEC. 105. NATIVE AMERICAN HEALTH FACILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1834(m)(4)(C) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)(C)), as amend-
ed by section 101, is amended— 
(1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and (iv)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, (iv), and (v)’’; and 
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(2) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(v) NATIVE AMERICAN HEALTH FA-
CILITIES.—With respect to telehealth serv-
ices furnished on or after January 1, 2026, 
the originating site requirements described 
in clauses (i) and (ii) shall not apply with 
respect to a facility of the Indian Health 
Service, whether operated by such Service, 
or by an Indian tribe (as that term is de-
fined in section 4 of the Indian Health 
Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)) 
or a tribal organization (as that term is 
defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-De-
termination and Education Assistance Act 
(25 U.S.C. 5304)), or a facility of the Na-
tive Hawaiian health care systems author-
ized under the Native Hawaiian Health 
Care Improvement Act (42 U.S.C. 11701 
et seq.).’’. 
(b) NO ORIGINATING SITE FACILITY FEE FOR CER-
TAIN
NATIVE
AMERICAN
FACILITIES.—Section 
1834(m)(2)(B)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m(m)(2)(B)(i)) is amended, in the matter preceding 
subclause (I), by inserting ‘‘(other than an originating site 
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that is only described in clause (v) of paragraph (4)(C), 
and does not meet the requirement for an originating site 
under clauses (i) and (ii) of such paragraph)’’ after ‘‘the 
originating site’’. 
SEC. 106. REPEAL OF SIX-MONTH IN-PERSON VISIT RE-
QUIREMENT 
FOR 
TELEMENTAL 
HEALTH 
SERVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1834(m)(7) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(7)(B)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘, subject 
to subparagraph (B),’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The geo-
graphic’’ and inserting ‘‘The geographic’’; and 
(3) by striking subparagraph (B). 
(b) RURAL HEALTH CLINICS.—Section 1834(y)(2) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(y)(2)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘prior to October 1, 2025’’. 
(c) FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS.— 
Section 1834(o)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(o)(4)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘prior to 
October 1, 2025’’. 
SEC. 107. WAIVER OF TELEHEALTH REQUIREMENTS DUR-
ING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES. 
Section 1135(g)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)) is amended— 
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(1) in subparagraph (A), in the matter pre-
ceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘subparagraph (B)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs (B) and (C)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(C) EXCEPTION FOR WAIVER OF TELE-
HEALTH
REQUIREMENTS
DURING
PUBLIC 
HEALTH EMERGENCIES.—For purposes of sub-
section (b)(8), in addition to the emergency pe-
riod described in subparagraph (B), an ‘emer-
gency area’ is a geographical area in which, and 
an ‘emergency period’ is the period during 
which, there exists a public health emergency 
declared by the Secretary pursuant to section 
319 of the Public Health Service Act on or 
after the date of enactment of this subpara-
graph.’’. 
SEC. 108. USE OF TELEHEALTH IN RECERTIFICATION FOR 
HOSPICE CARE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1814(a)(7)(D)(i)(II) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(a)(7)(D)(i)(II)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘during the emergency period’’ and 
all that follows through ‘‘September 30, 2025’’ and insert-
ing the following: ‘‘during and after the emergency period 
described in section 1135(g)(1)(B)’’. 
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(b) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to Congress a report 
evaluating the impact of section 1814(a)(7)(D)(i)(II) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395f(a)(7)(D)(i)(II)), 
as amended by subsection (a), on— 
(1) the number and percentage of beneficiaries 
recertified for the Medicare hospice benefit at 180 
days and for subsequent benefit periods, to the ex-
tent such data is available; 
(2) Federal oversight of the appropriateness for 
hospice care of the patients recertified through the 
use of telehealth; and 
(3) any other factors determined appropriate by 
the Comptroller General. 
TITLE II—PROGRAM INTEGRITY 
SEC. 201. CLARIFICATION FOR FRAUD AND ABUSE LAWS 
REGARDING TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDED TO 
BENEFICIARIES. 
Section 1128A(i)(6) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1320a–7a(i)(6)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and 
inserting a semicolon; 
(2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(K) the provision of technologies (as de-
fined by the Secretary) on or after the date of 
the enactment of this subparagraph, by a pro-
vider of services or supplier (as such terms are 
defined for purposes of title XVIII) directly to 
an individual who is entitled to benefits under 
part A of title XVIII, enrolled under part B of 
such title, or both, for the purpose of furnishing 
telehealth services, remote patient monitoring 
services, or other services furnished through the 
use of technology (as defined by the Secretary), 
if— 
‘‘(i) the technologies are not offered 
as part of any advertisement or solicita-
tion; and 
‘‘(ii) the provision of the technologies 
meets any other requirements set forth in 
regulations 
promulgated 
by 
the 
Sec-
retary.’’. 
SEC. 202. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TELEHEALTH 
OVERSIGHT. 
In addition to amounts otherwise available, there are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Inspector General of 
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the Department of Health and Human Services for each 
of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, out of any money in 
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $3,000,000, to 
remain available until expended, for purposes of con-
ducting audits, investigations, and other oversight and en-
forcement activities with respect to telehealth services, re-
mote patient monitoring services, or other services fur-
nished through the use of technology (as defined by the 
Secretary). 
SEC. 203. ADDRESSING SIGNIFICANT OUTLIER BILLING 
PATTERNS FOR TELEHEALTH SERVICES. 
(a) 
IDENTIFICATION
AND
NOTIFICATION
OF 
OUTLIER BILLERS OF TELEHEALTH.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, using 
standard unique health identifiers (described in sec-
tion 1173(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1320d–2) reported on claims for telehealth services 
furnished to individuals under section 1834(m) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m))), identify physi-
cians and practitioners that demonstrate significant 
outlier billing patterns (such as coding of telehealth 
services for inappropriate length of time and inac-
curate complexity and inappropriate or duplicate 
billing) for telehealth services or items or services or-
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dered or prescribed concurrent to a telehealth service 
over a period of time specified by the Secretary. 
(2) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
THRESHOLDS.—For 
purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall es-
tablish thresholds for outlier billing patterns to iden-
tify whether a physician or practitioner is a signifi-
cant outlier biller for telehealth services or items or 
services ordered or prescribed concurrent to a tele-
health service as compared to other physicians or 
practitioners within the same specialty and geo-
graphic area. 
(b) NOTIFICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall notify 
physicians and practitioners identified as a signifi-
cant outlier biller for telehealth services or items or 
services ordered or prescribed concurrent to a tele-
health service under subsection (a). Each notifica-
tion under the preceding sentence shall include the 
following: 
(A) Information on how the physician or 
practitioner compares to physicians or practi-
tioners within the same specialty and geo-
graphic area with respect to billing for tele-
health services or items or services ordered or 
prescribed concurrent to a telehealth service 
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