July 22, 2025
The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker
United States House of Representatives
521 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Johnson:
The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of Blind Americans, urges Congress to make permanent the telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries that were temporarily extended by Section 2207 of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act in March 2025. Less than two weeks ago, at our annual national convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, more than 2,500 members of the National Federation of the Blind voted to pass Resolution 2025-07 on this very topic because it is of vital importance to us.
If the provisions are not made permanent, then effective October 1, 2025, Medicare beneficiaries will be required to travel to a medical facility in order to receive regular diagnostic care that could be administered virtually. This imposes a significant burden on those who live in rural areas with a lack of reliable transportation options.
According to the 2023 American Community Survey, there were 8,301,100 Americans who reported having a “visual disability.” Furthermore, the Pew Research Center reports that Americans who live in rural areas are an average of 10.5 miles from the nearest hospital. Naturally, some of those Americans living in rural areas are also blind, which only compounds the barriers that one must overcome in order to receive healthcare. Telehealth services provided by federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics offer a method to bridge the gap for this population of Americans.
In addition to transportation barriers placed on blind people with the expiration of this policy, it could also have significant financial ramifications for those who may already be on a tight budget. For many older blind Americans, Medicare is their primary healthcare insurance provider, and by eliminating the option of Medicare paying for telehealth appointments, it places a financial strain on these people who will have to find other ways to afford to receive telehealth services from their health teams.
The National Federation of the Blind calls on the United States Congress to act swiftly to ensure blind Americans who use Medicare have the ability to receive necessary medical care remotely and in a nonvisually accessible manner. We urge you to make permanent the telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries that are currently scheduled to expire on September 30, 2025.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind