This legislative proposal seeks to significantly broaden the types of healthcare professionals eligible for Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services. It amends the Social Security Act to include a wider range of practitioners, thereby increasing access to virtual care for beneficiaries. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of a "practitioner" under Medicare's telehealth provisions to encompass qualified audiologists and speech-language pathologists . Furthermore, it adds qualified occupational therapists and their assistants, as well as qualified physical therapists and their assistants, when providing services under supervision. These changes aim to ensure that more specialized therapeutic and rehabilitative services can be delivered and reimbursed via telehealth, enhancing flexibility and convenience for patients.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Health
Expanded Telehealth Access Act
USA119th CongressS-3834| Senate
| Updated: 2/11/2026
This legislative proposal seeks to significantly broaden the types of healthcare professionals eligible for Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services. It amends the Social Security Act to include a wider range of practitioners, thereby increasing access to virtual care for beneficiaries. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of a "practitioner" under Medicare's telehealth provisions to encompass qualified audiologists and speech-language pathologists . Furthermore, it adds qualified occupational therapists and their assistants, as well as qualified physical therapists and their assistants, when providing services under supervision. These changes aim to ensure that more specialized therapeutic and rehabilitative services can be delivered and reimbursed via telehealth, enhancing flexibility and convenience for patients.