Funding lapse causes hospitals to cut telehealth, hospital-at-home programs

Many hospital leaders are cutting telehealth and hospital-at-home programs temporarily following the expiration on Sept. 30 of pandemic-era government waivers that allowed the programs. Many health care providers are canceling telehealth visits with Medicare beneficiaries or telling patients these appointments are no longer covered. In particular, the lapse is affecting Medicare patients with disabilities, who disproportionately use telehealth. Advocates, meanwhile, are seeking to extend the waivers by ensuring they are included in any short-term spending bill to end the government shutdown. They also are encouraging Congress to pass legislation to make the waivers permanent. The American Hospital Association supports making telehealth and hospital-at-home waivers permanent. (HealthLeaders Media article, 10/8/25)