Policy & oversight
32 House Members Ask CMS to Drop Proposal That Would Bar Outside Vendors From Medicare Remote Monitoring
A bipartisan letter to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz warns the proposed ban would cut off rural Medicare patients from home monitoring programs they depend on today.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamOctober 7, 2026
A bipartisan group of 32 House members sent a letter to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz this week asking the agency to reverse a proposed provision in the calendar year 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that would bar outside clinical staff from providing remote patient monitoring services billed to Medicare. Representatives David Kustoff of Tennessee and Troy Balderson of Ohio led the effort, which was dated October 2.
Under the proposed rule, Medicare payment for remote patient monitoring and remote therapeutic monitoring would be available only when clinical staff are directly employed by the billing practice. CMS said the restriction is intended to address program integrity concerns tied to third-party monitoring vendors.
32 House members are urging CMS to drop a proposed Medicare rule that could cut rural patients off from home health monitoring.
Critics argue the restriction would effectively shut down remote monitoring programs at rural practices and small physician groups that rely on outside technology and clinical partners to serve patients. A survey by the National Association of Rural Health Clinics found that nearly 70 percent of rural health clinics offering remote monitoring use third-party vendors to make those services available.
Senators Mark Warner of Virginia and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee separately wrote to CMS raising similar concerns in early October.
The proposed rule's public comment period closed September 14. The congressional letters represent pressure on CMS to change course before publishing a final rule. If the outsourcing restriction is retained in the finalized 2027 Physician Fee Schedule, it would take effect January 1, 2027, affecting Medicare patients who currently rely on connected devices to track chronic conditions from home.
In plain words
A group of 32 members of Congress sent a letter to Medicare's top official this week. They want the agency to drop a proposed rule before it becomes final.
The rule is about remote patient monitoring. That is when a doctor tracks a patient's health from home using a device, like a blood pressure cuff or a heart monitor. Right now, many small and rural doctor's offices hire outside companies to help run those programs. The proposed rule would stop that. Only staff hired directly by the doctor's office could do the monitoring work.
The members of Congress say this change would hurt rural patients most. A survey found that about 7 out of 10 rural health clinics that offer this service use an outside company to make it work. Without those companies, many clinics may have to stop offering the service entirely.
Two senators also wrote to Medicare's administrator with the same concern.
Medicare has not yet made the rule final. If it does, the change would start January 1, 2027.
Understand the basics first
Source: Becker's Hospital Review
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