By Debbie Witchey, ABHW President and CEO
In December 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress lifted long-standing geographic and originating site restrictions for mental health and substance use disorder services. This pivotal change allowed people seeking behavioral health care to connect with providers more quickly, with fewer barriers, and without the stigma or logistical challenges of in-person visits. Over the past five years, we have welcomed Congress’s repeated extensions of these flexibilities for Medicare beneficiaries and its delays of the in-person requirement for behavioral health services.
But temporary fixes are not enough.
Requiring Medicare beneficiaries to see a provider in person within six months before receiving a tele-mental health service imposes a barrier that does not exist for other medical conditions. Without full telehealth flexibility, too many individuals are forced to travel long distances for care or cannot access care at all due to health limitations, transportation challenges, or cost. This is especially concerning when less than half of older adults with mental health or substance use disorders receive the treatment they need, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Academy of Medicine.
With current Medicare telehealth flexibilities set to expire on January 30, 2026, Congress must act. Permanently removing the Medicare in-person requirement for behavioral health services is essential to protecting access to care for millions of people.
A recent report from the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) confirms what we know from experience: telehealth does not drive unnecessary use, it drives better access to care. And access is what our country needs as we continue to confront an urgent mental health and substance use crisis.
ABHW supports individuals having access to appropriate, quality care. Short-term Medicare telehealth extensions only prolong uncertainty and create long-term barriers. Congress must repeal the Medicare in-person requirement so patients can continue to access critical services and providers can build the modern care models patients expect and deserve.
