The CONNECT for Health Act of 2025 (S. 1261 / H.R. 4206) would make permanent many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were introduced as temporary COVID-era measures. The Senate version has 69 cosponsors as of January 2026, making it one of the most broadly supported telehealth bills in recent years. It has not yet passed.
What the bill would do
The CONNECT Act would permanently eliminate geographic restrictions on Medicare telehealth — meaning physicians could see Medicare patients via telehealth regardless of whether the patient lives in a rural or underserved area. It would allow the patient's home to serve as the originating site for telehealth visits, expand the list of provider types eligible to furnish telehealth services, and repeal the six-month in-person visit requirement for mental health telehealth.
The six-month rule and mental health prescribing
Under current law, Medicare requires that a patient receiving mental health services via telehealth have an in-person visit with the treating provider within six months of the first telehealth visit, and at least once every 12 months thereafter. For psychiatrists who prescribe controlled substances to Medicare patients via telehealth, this rule directly affects prescribing continuity. The CONNECT Act would eliminate this requirement permanently.
For psychiatrists prescribing to Medicare patients via telehealth, the six-month in-person rule is the most practice-altering provision the CONNECT Act would remove.
What to watch
The bill is in the Senate Finance Committee. Bipartisan support is strong but floor vote timing is uncertain. If the DEA prescribing extension expires December 31 without a permanent rule, pressure to pass the CONNECT Act or a related vehicle will increase significantly. Monitor Senate Finance Committee activity in Q3 and Q4 2026.