October 24, 2025

Regarding our update sent on 10/22/25 which stated that Kaiser Permanente as an insurer is requiring a yearly in-person visit for patients receiving telemental health services: this only applies to Medicare Advantage enrollees whose benefits are managed by Kaiser Permanente. It appears this notice was sent to LCSWs in the states of Washington and Oregon.

To our knowledge, CMS has required all Medicare Advantage plans – overseen by commercial insurers – to implement the in-patient requirement. If you receive a letter from Kaiser or other commercial insurers regarding the requirement, please let Laura Groshong, LICSW, Director of Policy and Practice, know at lwgroshong@clinicalsocialworkassociation.org. The Clinical Social Work Association is seeking clarification from CMS on how this affects the Medicare Advantage plans.