Congress Adds Needed Funding, Telehealth Flexibility to Continuing Resolution

As we discussed earlier this week during our Final Rule webinar with Heidi Jannenga and Rick Gawenda, Congress was considering a handful of bills that would substantively impact rehab therapists and other healthcare providers in 2025. During the webinar, Gawenda noted that the bills currently under consideration would likely be rolled up into a larger omnibus bill, which would likely help the chances of passage — and, as always, he was right on the money with that prediction. 

As of the evening of December 14, Congress has released a short-term continuing resolution aimed at keeping the government open through March 14 and included in that measure several other bills that the body is looking to pass before they head home for the holidays tomorrow. Among the inclusions are measures to reverse and even increase physician pay, as well as an extension of telehealth flexibilities. 

Under Title II of the bill, Section 205 outlines “Temporary payment increase under the Medicare physician fee schedule to account for exceptional circumstances,” wherein it notes a 2.5% increase for the Medicare physician fee schedule — a stark contrast to the 2.83% decrease that was expected. Section 209 of Title II, “Extension of certain telehealth flexibilities,” the bill extends telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2026, for those providers under temporary provisions, therapy providers included.  

Of course, the bill still needs to be passed and signed before rehab therapists can celebrate, so keep an eye on the news coming out of Congress in the next couple of days.