Advocacy Update: Congress Passes Legislation to Reopen Government through January, Including Telehealth Flexibilities

Congress passed legislation Wednesday to end the weeks-long government shutdown, funding the government through January 30, 2026, and reinstating telehealth flexibilities among other healthcare extenders. The final vote in the House was 222-209 with two Republicans opposed to the legislation and six Democrats voting for it, and the bill was signed into law soon after. The bill includes a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through January 30 and provides full fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Legislative Branch, and Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration. It also reinstates through the end of January all healthcare extenders, including: Medicare telehealth flexibilities, the Acute Hospital at Home waiver, Medicare-dependent hospital program, community health centers, prevention of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) cuts, and low-income Medicare programs.

Also of note, this legislation reinstates federal workers who had been fired since the beginning of the government shutdown and limits the Administration’s ability to furlough workers through January. Additionally, it includes pay for all federal employees during the shutdown. A side-by-side summary of the legislation is available here.

Please reach out to HPNA’s advocacy team if you have any questions!