Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act
The summary
What this bill does
Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act
This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare.
Specifically, the bill permanently (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary), (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services, (3) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner), and (4) expands coverage to include audio-only services for evaluation and management and behavioral health services.
Legislative timeline
From introduction
Feb 9, 2026
Introduced & referred to committee
Congressional support
Sponsors & Cosponsors
U.S. Representative - NH District 1 · D-NH
Roll-call vote
The vote, by member
The vote, by member
VERSION CHANGES
What changed,
and where.
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Bill Metadata
| Congress | 119 |
| Bill Type | HR |
| Bill Number | 7444 |
| Origin Chamber | House |
| Current Status | Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
| Policy Area | Health |
| Primary Committee | Not assigned |
| Introduced | February 9, 2026 |
| Latest Action | February 9, 2026 |
| Cosponsors | 1 · House vote — · 1 views |