Medicare telehealth pulmonary rehab can be covered, but the answer depends on the setting and the program. Medicare.gov says Part B covers pulmonary rehab for moderate to very severe COPD in a doctor’s office or a hospital outpatient setting, and its page does not mention telehealth. Separate CMS guidance lets hospital outpatient departments provide pulmonary rehab to patients at home by real-time audio and video through December 31, 2027. This page explains what we could confirm from CMS sources, what we could not, and what to ask a program before you start.
What does Medicare cover for pulmonary rehab?
Medicare.gov says that Part B covers pulmonary rehab if you have moderate to very severe COPD, and that you can get these services in a doctor’s office or a hospital outpatient setting that offers these programs. (Medicare.gov, Pulmonary rehabilitation programs)
Federal rules at 42 CFR 410.47 define moderate to very severe COPD as GOLD classification II, III and IV, and cover pulmonary rehab when it is referred by the physician treating the chronic respiratory disease. A covered program must include physician-prescribed exercise during each session, education or training, a psychosocial assessment, an outcomes assessment and an individualized treatment plan. Sessions are limited to two 1-hour sessions per day, for up to 36 sessions over up to 36 weeks, with an option for an additional 36 sessions that the Medicare Administrative Contractor approves. (42 CFR 410.47) Our page on does Medicare cover pulmonary rehab has the basics.
Can pulmonary rehab be done by video under Medicare?
CMS says that beneficiaries can receive Medicare telehealth services anywhere in the United States and territories through December 31, 2027. (CMS, Medicare telehealth FAQ)
For hospital programs, a CMS FAQ dated April 9, 2026 says the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 lets hospital outpatient departments provide cardiac, intensive cardiac and pulmonary rehab to hospital outpatients in their homes by real-time audio and video. Audio-only is excluded, and this at-home option runs through December 31, 2027. Hospitals add modifier 95 to show that a service was furnished virtually. (CMS, FAQ on virtual cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation)
CMS also allows the physician presence required for direct supervision to be virtual, through real-time audio and video that excludes audio-only, for many services starting January 1, 2026. Its telehealth FAQ names pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation among them. (CMS, Medicare telehealth FAQ)
Medicare contractors publish their own billing instructions. Noridian Healthcare Solutions, a contractor whose jurisdictions include California, says in its pulmonary rehabilitation billing article, effective October 1, 2026, that modifier 95 applies to claim lines for services furnished via telehealth and that codes 94625 and 94626 have been added to the list of covered telehealth services. (CMS Medicare Coverage Database, article A56152)
What could we not confirm?
Medicare.gov’s pulmonary rehab page does not mention telehealth or home-based rehab, and we did not find one national statement from CMS that spells out how virtual pulmonary rehab is billed for every type of program. Billing instructions come from the Medicare contractor for each region, so ask any program how it bills Original Medicare for virtual sessions in your state.
How long will these rules last?
The CMS pages we reviewed list December 31, 2027 for telehealth services anywhere in the United States and for hospital outpatient pulmonary rehab at home. We did not find a statement about what happens after that date, so ask your program what would happen to your coverage if the rules change.
What do you pay?
The Part B deductible applies. After it, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount in a doctor’s office, and in a hospital outpatient setting you also pay the hospital a copayment for each session. (Medicare.gov, Pulmonary rehabilitation programs) The 2026 Part B deductible is $283. (Medicare.gov, Medicare costs) See how much pulmonary rehab costs with Medicare for more.
What should you ask before you start?
- Are my sessions live by video with a clinician? CMS describes real-time audio and video for hospital outpatient pulmonary rehab at home and excludes audio-only.
- Is the program run by a hospital outpatient department or a physician practice?
- Do you bill Original Medicare Part B for virtual sessions in my state?
- Who needs to refer me, and what must the referral say?
- How many sessions are covered, and what will I owe for each one?
- What happens to my coverage if telehealth rules change after December 31, 2027?
Medicare Advantage plans can have their own rules. See does Medicare Advantage cover pulmonary rehab.
Where Bloom fits in
Bloom Medical Group provides one-on-one virtual pulmonary rehab by video with a licensed respiratory therapist or clinical exercise physiologist, and accepts Original Medicare Part B in New Jersey and California. A referral from your own doctor is needed to start, and Bloom confirms coverage before you begin.
Frequently asked questions
It can. A CMS FAQ says hospital outpatient departments may provide pulmonary rehab to patients at home by real-time audio and video through December 31, 2027, and a Medicare contractor billing article lists codes 94625 and 94626 as covered telehealth services. Coverage depends on the program and your state, so ask how the program bills Medicare.
CMS describes hospital outpatient pulmonary rehab at home as real-time audio and video and says audio-only is excluded.
CMS pages list December 31, 2027 for telehealth services anywhere in the United States and for hospital outpatient pulmonary rehab at home. We did not find a statement about what happens after that date.
Medicare.gov says Part B covers pulmonary rehab for moderate to very severe COPD. Federal rules require a referral from the physician treating the chronic respiratory disease.
The Part B deductible applies. In a doctor’s office you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and in a hospital outpatient setting you also pay the hospital a copayment for each session. The 2026 Part B deductible is $283.
Bloom accepts Original Medicare Part B in New Jersey and California. A referral from your own doctor is needed, and you can call 1-866-972-8228 to check your plan.
Next step
Not sure whether rehab fits you? Take our free 2 minute lung health assessment.
Ready to find out if you qualify? Call Bloom Medical Group at 1-866-972-8228 or fill in the see if you qualify form. One-on-one virtual pulmonary rehab with licensed respiratory therapists and clinical exercise physiologists, billed to commercial insurance, and to Original Medicare Part B in New Jersey and California. Read how virtual pulmonary rehab at Bloom works.
This article is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk with your doctor about what is right for you.
Sources
- Medicare.gov. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs
- 42 CFR 410.47. Pulmonary rehabilitation program: Conditions for coverage
- CMS. Medicare telehealth frequently asked questions (updated October 2026)
- CMS. FAQ on virtual cardiac rehabilitation, intensive cardiac rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation (April 9, 2026)
- CMS Medicare Coverage Database. Billing and Coding: Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services (A56152)
- Medicare.gov. Medicare costs
