Black Book Research survey reveals compliance gaps, weak technology readiness, and mounting patient care risks as Medicare telehealth flexibilities approach expiration

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / August 25, 2025 / A looming deadline threatens to disrupt telehealth access for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. On September 30, 2025, key Medicare telehealth flexibilities that drove virtual care expansion during the COVID-19 era will expire unless Congress acts to extend them.

A flash survey conducted by Black Book Research of 431 qualified telehealth provider users finds that most healthcare organizations are underprepared for the sudden rollback. The study results, statistically valid at the 95% confidence level (±5.4%), highlight major risks to provider compliance, reimbursement, and patient access.

What Expires on September 30, 2025

During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, Medicare temporarily eliminated long-standing restrictions on telehealth, enabling providers to serve millions of patients safely at home. Extensions under the Consolidated Appropriations Act allowed these flexibilities to remain in place through September 2025.

Without further Congressional action:

Patients may lose home access: Medicare telehealth coverage could again be limited to clinical facilities, blocking homebound patients.

Audio-only visits will end: Older adults and rural patients without broadband or smartphones could lose their only means of accessing care remotely.

Practitioner eligibility will shrink: Non-physician providers such as occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists will lose billing ability for telehealth visits.

Geographic restrictions return: Coverage may again be limited to rural or designated shortage areas only.

This would mark a return to pre-2020 rules and risk undoing five years of progress in digital health equity.

Survey Results: A System Unprepared

Compliance Readiness:

• 71% of providers say their organizations are only "somewhat prepared" or "not prepared."

• 84% report IT and compliance teams lack a concrete response plan.

• Only 8% of staff have received adequate internal communication or training on upcoming changes.

Technology Gaps:

• Just 29% say their EHR or telehealth platforms are fully integrated with APIs required for compliance reporting.

• 59% remain uncertain whether their platforms meet HIPAA/HITECH encryption and authentication standards.

Operational Risks:

• Nearly 62% of clinicians anticipate scheduling and care disruptions if waivers are not extended.

• 47% expect patient engagement losses, especially among audio-only users.

Staff confusion and lack of training rank highest among risks to care continuity.

Privacy & Security Weaknesses:

• Fewer than one in three organizations have fully audited telehealth vendors against CMS requirements.

• 41% express low confidence in handling overlapping federal and state telehealth mandates.

What Providers Fear Most

Access:65% fear vulnerable populations will lose telehealth access entirely.

Financial Risk: 89% worry about billing errors and reimbursement losses as rules change abruptly.

Vendor Dependence:83% are prioritizing vendor tools with strong audit trails, interoperability, and consent management features to mitigate compliance risk.

Industry Perspective

"Providers have scaled telehealth rapidly since 2020 in response to demand and regulatory flexibility," said Doug Brown, Founder of Black Book Research. "Yet most remain unprepared for the re-imposition of pre-pandemic restrictions. Without Congressional or CMS guidance before September 30, healthcare organizations face serious risks: service disruption, compliance failures, and a reversal of progress on equitable access to care."

Black Book Market Research LLC is a globally recognized source for independent healthcare technology insights. Since 2011, Black Book has gathered feedback from more than 3.3 million healthcare IT users. Known for vendor-agnostic rankings and a rigorous 18-point KPI evaluation system, Black Book provides actionable intelligence to providers, payers, and technology leaders. Unlike commercially sponsored studies, Black Book conducts independent "flash surveys" to capture real-time sentiment on urgent healthcare issues.

For more information, contact research@blackbookmarketresearch.com or visit www.blackbookmarketresearch.com.

SOURCE: Black Book Research