Pandemic-era regulatory flexibilities governing telehealth utilization have been extended through Jan. 30, including hospice face-to-face recertifications.

The extension was included in the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2026, which funded the government through that date and ended the federal shutdown.

“Recent legislation authorized an extension of many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency through Jan. 30, 2026,” the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) indicated on its website.

Also extended are waivers that expanded the scope of practitioners eligible to provide telehealth services, as well as flexibilities that removed geographic requirements and expanded originating sites for telehealth services, including federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics.

Hospices and other health care providers have heavily leveraged virtual services during the past five years of the telehealth waivers, particularly to reach patients in rural and remote locations with limited resources.

Telehealth has allowed hospices to reach more patients during a time of rising demand and staffing shortages that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Providing virtual services have additionally aided in the ability to offer more layers of support to patients and caregivers, helping hospices to avoid unnecessary home visits and balance clinician workload.