Medicare telehealth flexibilities have been extended for two years, keeping reimbursement for a wide range of virtual services through the end of 2027. This allows Medicare beneficiaries to continue receiving care via telehealth rather than being limited to hospitals or clinics.
Importantly, telehealth flexibilities for behavioral and mental health were made permanent beginning in 2021, eliminating geographic and originating‑site restrictions and cementing virtual behavioral health as a core part of the Medicare program.
The DEA has also extended its telemedicine flexibilities through 2026, allowing clinicians to prescribe certain controlled substances via telehealth without requiring an initial in-person visit. This is critical for maintaining access to behavioral health care, particularly in underserved areas.
Pushing for permanence
However, while these extensions provide near-term stability, reinforce federal support for telehealth, and protect patient access while policymakers continue working toward longer-term solutions, they are temporary. Providers are still pushing Congress for permanence to ensure long-term care continuity.
Beyond preserving access, the biggest immediate impact is operational certainty, said Shannon Werb, CEO of Array Behavioral Care, a telemedicine provider organization.
“Providers can plan investments in telehealth platforms, staffing and clinical workflows knowing reimbursement and prescribing flexibility will continue for the time being,” he explained. “For hospitals and health systems, this supports deeper integration of telehealth across service lines, including behavioral health, hospital-at-home and specialty consults.
“These extensions also influence workforce strategy and care delivery design,” he continued. “Telehealth enables organizations to address clinician shortages, expand specialty access and reduce pressure on in-person teams. With more policy clarity, providers can move away from temporary workarounds and toward more sustainable hybrid care models that blend virtual and in-person care intentionally.”
More broadly, these policy changes create space for providers to measure how telehealth is used, he added.
“As virtual care becomes more embedded in routine operations, providers will be increasingly evaluated on care quality, clinical integration and outcomes, rather than just access,” he explained. “For behavioral health, where demand often exceeds in-person capacity, this creates an opportunity to demonstrate both scale and clinical effectiveness while maintaining consistent access for patients.”
Where will private payers go?
With Medicare leading the way in telehealth, Werb sees private payers continuing to follow suit.
“In the near term, I don’t expect a dramatic shift in private payer behavior,” he observed. “Most private payers have already largely aligned with Medicare’s telehealth flexibilities, particularly for behavioral health, and have not broadly challenged reimbursement for virtual care. In many ways, the Medicare extensions validate the direction private payers have already taken rather than forcing a course correction.
“Looking ahead over the next two years, these extensions should further reduce friction for private payers to formalize and expand telehealth coverage,” he continued. “Medicare’s continued support provides a clear signal of policy stability and clinical legitimacy, which makes it easier for private payers to move from temporary accommodations to more durable coverage policies. This is especially important as payers think about network design and clinician participation.”
As prescribing flexibility and other capabilities become more normalized under federal policy, private payers are better positioned to support broader clinician enrollment and more comprehensive virtual care models, he added.
“Over time, this should enable payers to embrace telehealth not just as an access tool, but as a fully integrated part of behavioral health delivery, with expectations around quality, outcomes and continuity that mirror in‑person care.”
A permanent part of healthcare
Moving forward, the Medicare and DEA extensions continue to signal that telehealth is now a permanent part of the healthcare system, even if broader policy permanence is incremental, Werb said. Extending reimbursement through 2027 and prescribing flexibility through 2026 reduces uncertainty and enables providers to invest in scalable care models, he added.
“Hybrid care is becoming standard across many specialties,” he said. “Virtual and in-person care are now used based on clinical need, patient preference and access, rather than regulatory constraints. The DEA extension is particularly important for behavioral health, allowing timely initiation and management of care for patients who might otherwise face delays.
“Overall, each extension reinforces telehealth’s role in expanding access, addressing workforce limitations and supporting integrated care delivery,” he concluded. “Providers that have invested in high-quality virtual platforms are well-positioned to scale efficiently while maintaining strong outcomes and meeting the expectations of patients, payers and policymakers.”