The American Medical Association (AMA) is calling on Congress to ensure permanent flexibility in telehealth services for Medicare patients, rather than repeated temporary extensions.[1] Before the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual care was available only to select Medicare patients in rural areas and only in approved facilities such as hospitals or doctor's offices.[1] During the pandemic, these restrictions were lifted to expand access to care.[1] The flexibility is currently set to expire on January 30, 2026.[1][2] According to data from Brown University, during the recent government shutdown, telehealth visits dropped 24% nationally in the first 17 days, with some states seeing drops of up to 40%.[4][5] The AMA calls for the permanent removal of limitations on Medicare coverage of telehealth services, the extension of the hospital home care program through 2030, and the resolution of barriers to reimbursement for remote patient monitoring devices.[1][5] The organization also questions Congressional estimates of the financial impacts of virtual care because they do not take into account the long-term savings from early intervention and better chronic disease management.[5]