AMA urges Congress to make telehealth changes permanent
By HME News Staff
Updated 9:14 AM CST, Wed January 7, 2026
WASHINGTON – The American Medical Association (AMA) is urging Congress to enact permanent authorization of Medicare telehealth services and end the repeated cycle of temporary extensions that have undermined reliable access to virtual care.
The current Medicare telehealth waiver expires on Jan. 30.
“Since the COVID-19 public health emergency, Congress has repeatedly extended telehealth flexibilities for Medicare patients—often at the last moment—creating uncertainty for millions of patients and their physicians,” said AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, M.D. “As the current waiver deadline approaches, Congress must finally act decisively to prevent a disruptive and abrupt halt to the expanded telehealth services that have improved care continuity, chronic disease management, and access for rural and underserved communities.”
A newly released AMA issue brief advocates for a comprehensive approach to evaluating the value of telehealth—one that goes beyond short-term cost modeling and considers the broader, enduring impact of virtual care. While current Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scoring is based heavily on historical data and limited assumptions about future utilization and costs, the AMA calls for a more robust analysis. This means factoring in long-term savings generated by early intervention, improved chronic disease management, and reduced use of costly emergency and inpatient services -- factors that are not reflected in current cost estimates.
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