Telehealth Voters Pledge
An Organizational Pledge to Advocate for Permanent Medicare Telehealth in 2026
Medicare telehealth expires in 20 months. Congress can’t wait until the last minute again.
Millions of Americans depend on telehealth to access the care they need. Older adults, people with disabilities, rural patients, and those managing chronic conditions have seen firsthand what happens when coverage lapses. The 2025 gap in coverage caused meaningful, measurable harm to real people.
Enough with temporary fixes. It’s time for a permanent law.
A growing coalition of patient advocates, clinicians, and healthcare organizations are committing to make permanent Medicare telehealth an unavoidable issue in 2026 in town halls, debates, and forums across America.
By signing, your organization commits to:
- Raising telehealth permanency in public and private forums throughout the 2026 election season
- Educating your constituencies about what’s at stake
- Sharing patient stories, clinical data, or economic evidence that make the case for permanent coverage
- Collaborating with fellow signatories to amplify a unified national voice
Why 2026 Is the Moment
Why Now?
Members of Congress are home this summer and fall, meeting with constituents across the country. This is our best opportunity to make action on permanent telehealth impossible to ignore — before the next deadline forces another last-minute scramble.
Every extension without a permanent solution leaves patients and providers in limbo. Older adults shouldn’t have to wonder whether their next virtual appointment will be covered. Providers shouldn’t have to plan patient care around an expiration date.
Congress must end this cycle.
What’s Next?
Signing organizations will be invited to deliver this pledge to Congressional leaders in July 2026, participate in national media efforts, and collaborate with the full coalition on shared resources, talking points, and advocacy strategies.
This is a nonpartisan effort focused solely on the policy merits of permanent Medicare telehealth. Participation does not constitute endorsement of any party, candidate, or campaign.
Each federal election is a referendum on policy, and our voice must be heard clearly. Summer and Fall 2026 offer a critical opportunity for permanent telehealth advocacy across America.
Telehealth Voters Pledge
An Organizational Pledge to Advocate for Permanent Medicare Telehealth in 2026
We, the undersigned organizations, representing a diverse coalition of organizations representing consumers of healthcare, clinicians, and others commit to broadly speak and advocate on the importance of passing permanent Medicare telehealth policy in 2026. Through avenues appropriate to each signer, we will work to educate voters and policymakers about the need for permanent statutory authority. We will cooperate and collaborate to ensure telehealth policies are raised in town halls, debates, public and private forums across the nation. Our goal is to generate new momentum to replace temporary telehealth authorities with permanent policy that guarantees access for America’s seniors.
To the extent appropriate for each, participating organizations will:
- Cooperate and collaborate to ensure telehealth policies are raised in town halls, debates, public and private forums across the nation.
- Engage constituencies to provide education about the importance of telehealth policy and support individuals in their issue-oriented engagement with policymakers.
- Share information valuable to the broader policy advocacy effort, including
- Patient experiences with telehealth, including the detrimental effects of telehealth authority lapsing.
- Data and outcomes demonstrate the crucial nature of permanent telehealth to clinical care
- Case studies and examples demonstrating the economic and societal value of telehealth permanency.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How will this pledge be used?
- Signers of the pledge will be invited to participate in a public event delivering this pledge to Congressional leaders in July 2026.
- Signers of this pledge may be invited to participate in media efforts related to the pledge and the broader campaign for permanent telehealth in 2026.
- Signers of the pledge will be invited to collaborate and coordinate with other signers to share and disseminate resources such as talking points, research findings, and case studies relevant to telehealth advocacy.
Nonpartisan Affirmation
This pledge represents a commitment to public education and civic engagement on a critical health policy issue. Signing organizations affirm that:
- All activities undertaken pursuant to this pledge will be conducted in a strictly nonpartisan manner, focused solely on educating the public about the policy merits of permanent Medicare telehealth.
- This pledge does not constitute endorsement of any political party, candidate, or electoral campaign.
- All public education activities will be compliant with applicable laws and regulations governing the activities of nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations.
- Participation in this pledge is a voluntary exercise of each organization’s independent mission to serve its members and the public interest.
Visit: www.connectwithcare.org Contact: kvinson@connectwithcare.org