Federal officials and industry leaders outlined key policy shifts ahead for telehealth during the American Telemedicine Association EDGE 2025 Policy Conference Dec. 10, emphasizing that virtual care’s long-term viability hinges on stable rules around licensure, payment, fraud and AI governance.
Here are five notes:
1. Licensure remains fragmented.
State-level inconsistencies continue to hinder cross-border care. While compacts speed up paperwork, panelists said they fail to provide true portability due to eligibility limits and malpractice coverage constraints.
2. CMS is targeting fraud and payment reform.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, said virtual care’s future depends on tying payment to outcomes and cracking down on abuse. Medicare’s statutory limits and oversight challenges will shape 2026 policies.
3. Compliance defaults to the strictest state.
National telehealth providers often standardize to the most restrictive regulations to avoid navigating multiple rule sets. This tactic is growing more complex as states expand transaction review and corporate practice laws.
4. AI-enabled care is moving toward enforceable oversight.
Federal leaders and health systems warned that consumer-facing tools will soon face governance requirements. AI policy is shifting from broad principles to state-level standards and accountability frameworks.
5. Infrastructure gaps still impede equity.
Broadband access remains a foundational barrier. HRSA’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth underscored the need for infrastructure investment, particularly in rural areas, to support sustainable virtual care access.
