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US S1261
US S1261CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025
summary
Introduced
04/02/2025
04/02/2025
In Committee
04/02/2025
04/02/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
119th Congress
Bill Summary
A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, and for other purposes.
AI Summary
This bill, called the CONNECT for Health Act of 2025, aims to permanently expand and improve telehealth services in the Medicare program by removing key barriers to access. The legislation permanently eliminates geographic restrictions for telehealth services starting October 1, 2025, allowing Medicare beneficiaries to receive telehealth care regardless of their location. It expands the types of healthcare practitioners who can provide telehealth services, gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services flexibility to waive practitioner limitations, and removes the previous requirement for an in-person visit within six months for mental health services. The bill also supports Native American health facilities by removing originating site requirements, provides additional oversight and resources to prevent fraud, and mandates the development of educational resources for both beneficiaries and healthcare providers to improve telehealth engagement. Additionally, the legislation requires the creation of quality measurement standards for telehealth services and mandates quarterly public reporting on telehealth utilization, expenditures, and outcomes. The bill reflects the growing importance of telehealth, noting that while only 0.1% of Medicare visits were telehealth in 2019, by 2023 this had increased to 24% of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries receiving telehealth services.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance
Sponsors (72)
Brian Schatz (D)*,
Jim Banks (R),
John Barrasso (R),
Michael Bennet (D),
Richard Blumenthal (D),
Cory Booker (D),
John Boozman (R),
Katie Boyd Britt (R),
Ted Budd (R),
Maria Cantwell (D),
Shelley Moore Capito (R),
Bill Cassidy (R),
Susan Collins (R),
Chris Coons (D),
Catherine Cortez Masto (D),
Tom Cotton (R),
Kevin Cramer (R),
Steve Daines (R),
Tammy Duckworth (D),
John Fetterman (D),
Deb Fischer (R),
Ruben Gallego (D),
Kirsten Gillibrand (D),
Lindsey Graham (R),
Chuck Grassley (R),
Martin Heinrich (D),
John Hickenlooper (D),
John Hoeven (R),
Cindy Hyde-Smith (R),
James Justice (R),
Tim Kaine (D),
Mark Kelly (D),
John Neely Kennedy (R),
Andy Kim (D),
Angus King (I),
Amy Klobuchar (D),
James Lankford (R),
Ben Ray Luján (D),
Cynthia Lummis (R),
Ed Markey (D),
Roger Marshall (R),
Mitch McConnell (R),
Jeff Merkley (D),
Jerry Moran (R),
Bernie Moreno (R),
Markwayne Mullin (R),
Lisa Murkowski (R),
Patty Murray (D),
Alex Padilla (D),
Gary Peters (D),
Pete Ricketts (R),
Jacky Rosen (D),
Mike Rounds (R),
Bernie Sanders (I),
Adam Schiff (D),
Eric Schmitt (R),
Jeanne Shaheen (D),
Tim Sheehy (R),
Elissa Slotkin (D),
Tina Smith (D),
Dan Sullivan (R),
John Thune (R),
Thom Tillis (R),
Tommy Tuberville (R),
Chris Van Hollen (D),
Mark Warner (D),
Raphael Warnock (D),
Elizabeth Warren (D),
Peter Welch (D),
Sheldon Whitehouse (D),
Roger Wicker (R),
Todd Young (R),
Last Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (on 04/02/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1261/all-info |
| BillText | https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/s1261/BILLS-119s1261is.pdf |
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