The quarterly updates for the Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing Guides are now available!  These updates reflect key regulatory changes and ongoing efforts to keep providers up to date on virtual care guidelines.

On February 3, 2026, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, was passed, extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027. This ensures continued access to virtual care for Medicare beneficiaries and reinforces the role of telehealth in modern healthcare delivery, particularly for rural and underserved communities.

The quarterly updates to the Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing Guides are now available!

The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2026 (H.R. 5371) extended current telehealth flexibilities, retroactive to October 1, and allows the flexibilities outlined below to remain in effect through January 30, 2026. In addition, CMS released the Calendar Year 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (CMS-1832-F), which includes several important telehealth policy changes summarized below.

The quarterly updates for the Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi Virtual Visit Billing Guides are now available! Payors were fairly quiet this past quarter, but with 2026 on the horizon, we can expect some shifts when CMS releases finalized 2026 telehealth guidance.

CMS has released the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule (CMS-1832-P), which includes several important telehealth changes detailed below. Remember, this is still a proposed rule, the final version will be published in November, and some details may change.

Medicare Telehealth Coverage & Billing: Post-Expiration

On October 1, 2025, the federal government shut down after Congress failed to pass a FY 2026 spending bill. With that, the Medicare telehealth flexibilities, which had been extended throughout the pandemic, have officially expired. Read more about what this means for healthcare providers below.

Last month, the Bridging Rural Communities: Telehealth Innovations for Appalachia and Beyond inaugural event was hosted! This event was a unique, multi-site convening designed to showcase and document best practices in telehealth across the Appalachian region. This full-day event brought together professionals, policymakers, and program leaders committed to improving rural health through innovative telehealth solutions.

Featuring short and engaging (think TED-style) talks clustered around the region’s top health priorities—mental health, diabetes, substance use disorder, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and emergency preparedness—each session highlighted effective strategies, lessons learned, and actionable insights. Attendees participated in facilitated discussions to identify best practices, contributing to a published proceedings in the Journal of Appalachian Health.

View the recordings and presentations from this event through the link below!

View the third quarterly update for 2025 has just been published. Take a look at all the changes for the South Central Region (Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee) as well as our Archive!

Following the wave of 2025 policy changes, most payors have remained relatively quiet this quarter, with few new updates as their telehealth and virtual care policies appear to have stabilized a bit more.

Read more through the link below.

Bridging Rural Communities: Telehealth Innovations for Appalachia and Beyond is a unique, multi-site convening designed to showcase and document best practices in telehealth across the Appalachian region. This full-day event will bring together professionals, policymakers, and program leaders committed to improving rural health through innovative telehealth solutions.

Featuring short and engaging (think TED-style) talks clustered around the region’s top health priorities—mental health, diabetes, substance use disorder, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and emergency preparedness—each session will highlight effective strategies, lessons learned, and actionable insights.

Attendees will participate in facilitated discussions to identify best practices, contributing to a published proceedings in the Journal of Appalachian Health. Join us to connect, learn, and shape the future of telehealth in Appalachia and beyond.

View the second quarterly update for 2025 has just been published. Take a look at all the changes for the South Central Region (Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee) as well as our Archive!

Along with the exciting news that current Medicare telehealth flexibilities were extended through September 30th, 2025 via recently passed legislation, several changes within the Commercial and Medicaid space also occurred this past quarter, as payors continue to evaluate the newly released 2025 telehealth E/M codes.