ATA Action Urges the U.S. Senate to quickly pass this legislation.
WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 1, 2025 – ATA Action, the advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association, comments on the U.S. House passing the U.S. House of the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R. 4313) today, which extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCaH) program through 2030. This is an important step to avert another lapse of essential care for Medicare patients on January 30, 2026. ATA Action
strongly urges the U.S. Senate to quickly pass this legislation to ensure certainty for thousands of patients across the country.
“In a solid show of bipartisan support, the House passed legislation under suspension, to ensure that millions of Medicare beneficiaries will continue to have access a proven care model that reduces complications, shortens recovery times, and strengthens bed capacity for patients with life-threatening or complex illness requiring intensive medical care and monitoring,” said Alexis Apple, director, federal affairs at the ATA and head of federal government affairs, ATA Action. “This is a perfect example of how our government should work, to proactively protect the needs of our most vulnerable patients and allow healthcare providers to deliver proven care that has demonstrated strong clinical outcomes, high patient satisfaction, and substantial cost savings for the Medicare program.
“The Acute Hospital Care at Home program, in place for over half a decade, has become a critical part of the nation’s care delivery system. More than 330 hospitals across 37 states now rely on AHCaH to safely care for appropriate patients in their homes,” added Apple. “During the recent government shutdown, the AHCaH program was subjected to an unacceptable lapse, making the need for an extension of this length more necessary than ever. Now, it’s up to the Senate to pass this important legislation and send the bill to President Trump for his signature before the January 30, 2026, deadline.”
The benefits of the program are clear and well-demonstrated:
- High-quality acute care at home: AHCaH programs deliver 24/7 clinical oversight,
continuous remote monitoring, and multiple in-person visits each day for eligible patients. - Improved safety: Patients avoid hospital-acquired infections, delirium, and mobility decline.
- Rapid emergency response: Hospitals maintain dedicated escalation pathways and rapid-response teams; CMS data shows very low escalation rates.
- Strong diagnostic visibility: Daily in-person assessments with real-time monitoring.
- Full clinical infrastructure: Access to labs, imaging, pharmacy, oxygen, and emergency equipment.
- Reduced caregiver strain: Clinical services are delivered by hospitals, not families.
“We are grateful to our telehealth champions in Congress and the Administration for their forethought and commitment to making essential telehealth and virtual programs a fixture in healthcare delivery. This is an important milestone for telehealth and the patients and clinicians benefitting from this efficacious, convenient, and effective solution for delivering patient care where and when it’s needed. But we are not resting until all temporary telehealth waivers are made permanent – or at least extended multiple years – and will continue to work closely with Congressional leadership, the Trump Administration, and other stakeholders to make this a reality,” Apple said.
Telehealth provisions set to expire on January 30, 2026, include:
- Removal of geographic/originating-site restrictions
- Expanded eligible practitioners
- FQHC/RHC telehealth authority
- Delay of in‑person mental health requirement
- Audio‑only telehealth
- Hospice face‑to‑face encounters
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).