The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has directed Medicare Administrative Contractors to lift the hold currently in place on some claims with service dates occurring after Oct. 1. This includes telehealth claims that the agency “can confirm are definitively for behavioral and mental health services.” The agency says it will continue to temporarily hold claims for other telehealth services. Many pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities expired Oct. 1, including coverage for home-based and non-rural services. As a reminder, without congressional action to extend telehealth flexibilities, an in-person (i.e., not telehealth) visit is now required within six months prior to a patient receiving their first mental health telehealth service, along with an annual in-person visit requirement for established patients. CMS states it does not believe this requirement applies to beneficiaries who began receiving mental health telehealth services in their homes prior to Oct. 1, 2025. Statutory requirements also exempt telehealth services for someone with a diagnosis of SUD or co-occurring conditions from this requirement. CMS has published a Telehealth Factsheet, along with a Telehealth FAQ updated Oct. 15, 2025.