WASHINGTON—The United States Senate passed a bipartisan funding bill that included a provision that will extend telehealth access for Americans enrolled in Medicare through the end of 2027. 

The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act will expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors.

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia & WASHINGTON—On Jan. 22, representatives reintroduced Gerald's Law as a standalone bill to permanently protect burial benefits for veterans who receive hospice care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outside of a VA facility. The bill was reintroduced by Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL).

OWINGS MILLS, Maryland—The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) announced it is now accepting nominations for its Certificant of the Year (COY) Award. This award honors a BOC-certified professional for achievements in service, research and outreach.

DALLAS—Elara Caring, a provider of skilled home health, hospice, behavioral health and personal care services, announced that it has entered into an agreement for an investment from Ares’ Private Equity Group and DaVita.

NEW YORK—VNS Health and iCircle, two nonprofit organizations, announced they are partnering in the hopes of making long-term care more accessible and supportive for individuals across Western, Central and the Southern tier of New York.

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas—WellSky has announced new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered referral management workflows aimed at helping home health and hospice providers centralize intake, manage referral complexity and efficiently process growing volumes of patient referrals.

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky—Caring Senior Service, a non-medical, personalized homecare services company, announced it has opened a new location at 11360 Bluegrass Parkway in Louisville, Kentucky.

WILLOW GROVE, Pennsylvania—Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, digital darkness events and counterfeit medical products are the most significant health care hazards according to the Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI). ECRI, an independent nonprofit organization, emphasized the importance of “prevention over reaction” in “Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2026” report, Jan. 21.

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Florida—Empath Health announced that its board of directors has elected Jan Miller as chair of the board of trustees. Miller succeeds Ben Hayes, who served as chair from 2023 to 2026 and will continue supporting Empath Health’s mission through his ongoing service to the organization.

LYME, Connecticut—Purple Flag Excellence in Dementia Care has announced the appointment of Dr. Ronald Schwartz to the Purple Flag for Dementia Care credentialing committee.

The Purple Flag for Dementia Care credentialing committee provides oversight in the accreditation process for Purple Flag Excellence in Dementia Care providers.