WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal health officials moved to prevent a sudden cutoff in care for millions of patients by extending telemedicine rules that allow doctors to prescribe certain controlled medications without a prior in-person visit through the end of 2026.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, working jointly with the Drug Enforcement Administration, announced a fourth temporary extension of pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities, keeping them in place from January 1 through December 31, 2026. The decision buys regulators more time to finalize permanent rules while avoiding what officials describe as a looming “telemedicine cliff.”
Without the extension, patients who rely on virtual care — including seniors, rural residents, people with disabilities, and those receiving treatment for mental health conditions or substance use disorder — could have abruptly lost access to medications they depend on.
HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said the flexibilities have become a critical part of modern health care delivery, allowing continuity of care while permanent, long-term policies are completed. He said the extension balances patient access with safeguards designed to prevent diversion and misuse.
Telemedicine prescribing rules were first relaxed during the COVID-19 public health emergency and have been repeatedly extended as federal agencies study their impact. Data reviewed by HHS and the DEA show that telehealth now plays a major role in care delivery. In 2024 alone, more than 7 million prescriptions for controlled medications were issued via telemedicine without a prior in-person visit.
Federal officials point to past policy expirations as a warning. When Medicare telehealth flexibilities lapsed in September 2025, fee-for-service telemedicine visits dropped by 24 percent, sharply limiting access for many patients almost overnight.
The latest extension gives HHS and the DEA additional runway to finalize permanent regulations, including a proposed Special Registration for Telemedicine. That framework is intended to establish clear national standards for prescribing controlled substances remotely while maintaining patient safety and regulatory oversight.
Officials stressed that the extension does not loosen existing safeguards. Prescriptions must still be issued for legitimate medical purposes, by properly licensed practitioners, and in full compliance with federal and state law.
For now, the move ensures patients can continue receiving care through telemedicine without disruption as regulators work to define what remote prescribing will look like in the post-pandemic health system.
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