The "Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025" seeks to significantly expand and make permanent access to telehealth services under Medicare. Congress finds that telehealth improves access, quality, and can reduce spending, with a substantial increase in utilization since the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill aims to remove existing barriers to ensure long-term certainty for telehealth coverage. Key provisions include the removal of geographic requirements for telehealth services starting October 1, 2025, and the expansion of eligible originating sites . The Secretary of Health and Human Services is also granted authority to waive limitations on eligible practitioners for telehealth services, provided such waivers are clinically appropriate and subject to public comment and periodic review. Furthermore, the bill ensures that Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics can continue to furnish and be paid for telehealth services permanently, and it extends similar provisions to Native American health facilities . The legislation also repeals the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health services, making these services more accessible. It establishes that waivers of telehealth requirements during public health emergencies will apply to any future public health emergency declared by the Secretary. Additionally, telehealth can now be used for recertification for hospice care , with a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report mandated to evaluate its impact. To maintain program integrity , the bill clarifies that providing technologies to beneficiaries for telehealth or remote monitoring is not considered illegal remuneration if certain conditions are met, such as not being part of advertisements. It authorizes $3 million annually for the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services from fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for oversight and enforcement activities related to telehealth. The Secretary is also directed to identify and notify physicians and practitioners with significant outlier billing patterns for telehealth services, providing education and technical assistance through Telehealth Resource Centers. The Act also focuses on beneficiary and provider supports, quality of care, and data transparency . It mandates the Secretary to issue resources, guidance, and training sessions for beneficiaries, providers, and software vendors on best practices for ensuring telehealth accessibility, particularly for individuals with limited English proficiency and disabilities. Educational resources and training sessions will also be developed for healthcare professionals on telehealth payment requirements, privacy, security, and engaging underserved populations. Finally, the bill requires the Secretary to review and assess quality measures to ensure they include telehealth services, identify gaps, and issue technical guidance on stratifying measures by care modality and population. It also mandates the quarterly posting of information on telehealth services furnished under Medicare, including utilization, expenditures, and other outcomes, to enhance transparency and understanding of telehealth's impact.