Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Medicare coverage is scheduled to change for millions of Americans starting March 31.That is the date when Medicare telehealth coverage expires, potentially causing rural patients difficulties in obtaining healthcare services.Newsweek spoke to two experts about the benefits of telehealth appointments for those on Medicaid.Why It MattersMore than 66 million Americans rely on Medicare for health coverage each year.While during the pandemic telehealth became a more popular practice, the funding for Medicare recipients to utilize these services only lasts until the end of March.
An elderly man, hospitalized for a heart attack, eats his meal in his room.
An elderly man, hospitalized for a heart attack, eats his meal in his room.
THIBAUT DURAND/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
What To KnowMedicare telehealth coverage ends on March 31, three months after it was initially set to run out of funding.While Medicare’s coverage of telehealth was supposed to conclude at the end of 2024, recipients were able to get three extra months of coverage from Congress.Under Donald Trump’s first administration, Medicare telehealth was expanded to allow coverage during the coronavirus pandemic, when virtual visits became increasingly common.And then during Joe Biden’s presidency, Congress and Biden signed off on the American Relief Act 2025, which expanded originating sites for telehealth services and delayed in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services.Due to the changes arriving in April, patients must be in a medical office or facility for most prior telehealth services if they live in a rural area. However, some services, namely for those with home dialysis for end-stage renal disease, acute strokes or mental and behavioral health disorders, will still be available under the current coverage.Seniors in rural areas are especially at risk now that Medicare’s telehealth option will no longer be available, experts say.What People Are SayingKevin Thompson, a finance expert and the founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek: “Rural Americans and folks with mobility issues may feel this the most. Telehealth has been a game-changer for people who can’t easily get to a doctor, especially for mental health and routine checkups. If these flexibilities disappear, millions of Medicare recipients will be left scrambling for options.”Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “Many of the current initiatives surrounding telehealth under Medicare started during the pandemic era out of a need for virtual services being offered at a time when many recipients couldn’t take on the risk of going to a facility in-person. However, as beneficial as this was during that health crisis, another positive development from more telehealth was easier access to medical care for Medicare recipients in rural communities. Many rural areas across the United States have seen increased closures of clinics and hospitals in recent years, and the result is few local options for care.”What Happens NextStarting April 1, patients must find a medical office or facility for all the services they once received under telehealth in order to obtain Medicare coverage.This is the case unless you live outside a rural area and are receiving certain treatments for end-stage renal disease, acute strokes or mental and behavioral health disorders.”Letting telehealth expire isn’t just a matter of the pandemic being over,” Beene said. “It could have a negative effect on communities that have become more reliant on our services.”
