Stakeholder Letter Signed by 350+ Organizations
WASHINGTON, DC, AUGUST 14, 2025 – ATA Action, the advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association, co-led a letter to Congressional leadership signed by more than 350 stakeholder organizations, urging both the House and Senate to act swiftly to make Medicare telehealth flexibilities permanent, or to approve the longest possible extension. ATA Action is also urging Congress to couple the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program within whatever legislative vehicle advances, alongside the Medicare telehealth flexibilities.
“We have only 48 days to avert a telehealth shutdown on October 1, and we’re relying on continued bipartisan, bicameral support to win the day. For the past five years, telehealth has been a lifeline to Medicare beneficiaries across the country, allowing patients to access essential healthcare services. We are calling on our telehealth policy champions in Congress to eliminate outdated barriers to care and give patients and clinicians assurance that virtual care services will remain available, uninterrupted,” said Kyle Zebley, executive director, ATA Action and senior vice president, public policy at the ATA. “President Trump wisely cleared the path for telehealth at the outset of the pandemic as a way to eliminate barriers to accessing needed in-person care, and on a bipartisan basis, Congress has maintained this critical access ever since.
“For Medicare beneficiaries and patients requiring hospital-level care beyond traditional inpatient settings via remote monitoring and necessary interventions, access to telehealth services is a lifeline,” added Zebley. “At a minimum, a two-year extension is needed to ensure stability and provide clarity for patients, providers, and the healthcare system as a whole,” Zebley said. “We are grateful that the final reconciliation package passed in July made access to telehealth services permanent in the commercial market and urge Congress to do the same for Medicare beneficiaries,” Zebley said.
Read the stakeholder letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Thune, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Johnson, and House Minority Leader Jeffries.
About ATA Action
ATA Action recognizes that telehealth and virtual care have the potential to transform the healthcare delivery system by improving patient outcomes, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of care, addressing health disparities, and reducing costs. ATA Action is a registered 501c6 entity and an affiliated trade organization of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).