American Occupational Therapy Association
Protect Access to OT via Telehealth—Urge Congress to Act
The use of telehealth to deliver a wide range of services, including occupational therapy, has expanded significantly since 2020 when Congress enacted temporary waivers allowing more types of practitioners, including occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants (OTPs), to provide services to Medicare beneficiaries via telehealth. These waivers were extended multiple times, although they were temporarily suspended in October 2025 during the government shut-down. They are now set to expire on January 31, 2026 unless Congress acts before that time.  

To address this, Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Adrian Smith (R-NE) have introduced H.R. 1614, which would permanently authorize OTPs and other therapists as Medicare telehealth providers. In addition, Reps Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Debbie Dingell D-MI) and Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) have introduced the Telehealth Modernization Act (H.R.5081/S.2709) which would extend telehealth waivers through September 2027.  

AOTA urges Congress to enact legislation to list OTPs as telehealth providers in Medicare on a permanent basis and to reinstate and extend temporary waivers for as long as necessary before such legislation is enacted.

    Subject
    Message Body
    Remaining: 0
    Post
    Remaining: 0
    Suggested Message
    Post
    Remaining: 0
  • Hide
    • Please call this number:

      Please do not close this window. You will need to come back to this window to enter your code.
      We just sent an email to ... containing a verification code.

      If you do not see the email within the next five minutes, please ensure you entered the correct email address and check your spam/junk mail folder.
      Enter Your Info