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House advances bill to preserve parity for audio-only telehealth reimbursement
Summary
Representative Carpenter presented H.861 to require insurance plans to reimburse audio-only telephone visits at the same rate as in-person and telemedicine visits and to repeal a scheduled sunset; the House ordered third reading after a voice response and the committee report was cited in the floor debate.
Representative Carpenter, speaking for the House Health Care Committee, told colleagues that H.861 would require insurance plans to provide "the same reimbursement amounts to health care providers for delivering services in person by telemedicine, which includes both audio and video and by audio only telephone." He said the bill also repeals the statutory sunset scheduled for Jan. 1, 2026, so parity would continue beyond that date.
Carpenter said the measure aims to maintain access for rural Vermonters and older residents who may rely on audio-only visits when broadband is limited, and she stressed that Medicaid already pays 100% reimbursement for these services. "To help ensure that providers will continue to provide these services, H.861 sends reimbursement rates for a 100% for audio only, putting it on parity with telemedicine and in person appointments," Carpenter said.
The presenter summarized committee testimony from state regulators, health systems, insurers and provider groups and told the House the bill "passed out of the Health Care Committee on a vote of 1010" as recorded in the floor transcript. On the floor the House put the bill to a third-reading voice question; after aye and nay responses the presiding officer said "the ayes do have it" and ordered third reading.
The bill identifies two principal changes: statutory parity for audio-only telephone visits and repeal of the sunset. Carpenter said there would be no new state dollars tied to the change. Next steps are formal third-reading consideration and any subsequent votes required by House rules.
