Home Health Face-to-Face Encounter and Telehealth Technology Extended Through January 30, 2026

Published 11/26/2025

Section 6208 of the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 extended the use of telecommunications technology for certifying a patient’s eligibility for the home health benefit, that the certifying physician must document, or an allowed nonphysician practitioner (NPP), has had a face-to-face encounter with the patient. This extension is applicable through January 30, 2026, and temporarily removes geographic requirements and expanding originating sites for telehealth services during the extension.

The telehealth face-to-face encounter must be two-way audio-video telecommunications technology that allows for real-time interaction between the certifying physician/allowed NPP and the patient. An encounter by audio or video only is not acceptable.


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