Skip to main content

The shutdown leaves telehealth for Medicare patients in limbo

By NPR.org  
   November 06, 2025

The use of telehealth in Medicare began in earnest during the pandemic and quickly became popular. Nearly 7 million people on Medicare use telehealth services every year to see their doctors, but the federal shutdown put an abrupt halt on payments covering those services. Specifically, the temporary pandemic-era allowances that have been repeatedly renewed to enable payments, could no longer be reauthorized. Without that administrative approval, Medicare patients — and their doctors — have been left in a very complicated and confusing limbo.

Full story


Get the latest on healthcare leadership in your inbox.