# 119-hr-7444: Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act

119-hr-7444, Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] (D-NH); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-05-06).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7444
- As of: 2026-05-06
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7444
- Congress: 119
- Title: Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-09
- Sponsor: Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] (D-NH)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-06

## Summary

**This bill would expand Medicare telehealth access** by removing geographic limits and phasing in broader home-based telehealth beginning January 1, 2027. It would also set new payment rules for rural providers and allow certain audio-only visits. - Families and Medicare patients: More beneficiaries could receive telehealth from home once the Jan 1, 2027 phase begins, lifting current geographic limits. - Rural hospitals and clinics: Critical Access Hospitals could be paid 101 percent of reasonable costs for telehealth or choose another payment method. Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics would get a separate telehealth rate that considers geography and full telehealth costs and must use qualified providers. - Audio-only access and services: The bill would permit audio-only for select services like evaluation and management and behavioral health counseling and requires a five-year review of broadband rollout and whether audio-only remains necessary.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] (R-IA), 2026-02-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Audio-only telehealth paid like video: benefit, medium. If enacted, certain Medicare telehealth services done by audio-only phone would count as telehealth starting January 1, 2027. Medicare would pay the same amount for these audio-only visits as for other authorized telehealth technology. Covered services would include evaluation and management and be…
- Home allowed as Medicare telehealth site: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would remove geographic limits and let the home be an originating telehealth site starting January 1, 2027. From enactment through December 31, 2026, the home could be used only for limited listed services and specific home-health purposes. Removing the geographic restriction a…
- Store-and-forward telemedicine demos expanded: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would remove the phrase limiting a federal store-and-forward telemedicine demonstration to Alaska or Hawaii. This change would let federal store-and-forward telemedicine demos be run in other states upon enactment.
- New telehealth pay rules for rural clinics: mixed, medium. If enacted, Medicare would create a separate telehealth payment rate and coding system for Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics. The Secretary would have to set a payment method that considers geography and the full cost of telehealth. Starting January 1, 2027, Medicare payme…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-7444 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7444)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7444 (as of 2026-05-06).