Mental Health Telemedicine Expansion Act
This bill excludes certain mental health telehealth services from specified requirements under Medicare, including originating site requirements.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3797 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3797
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage
under the Medicare program of certain mental health telehealth
services.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 19, 2018
Ms. Harris introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage
under the Medicare program of certain mental health telehealth
services.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Mental Health Telemedicine Expansion
Act''.
SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF CERTAIN MENTAL HEALTH TELEHEALTH SERVICES.
Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 42 U.S.C.
1395m(m)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4)(F)(i), by inserting ``services
identified by CPT codes 90834 and 90837 (and as subsequently
modified by the Secretary),'' before ``and any additional
service''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(8) Treatment of mental health telehealth services.--
``(A) Non-application of originating site
requirements.--The requirements described in paragraph
(4)(C) shall not apply with respect to telehealth
services furnished on or after January 1, 2020, that
are mental health telehealth services. Nothing in the
previous sentence shall waive any applicable State law
requirements.
``(B) Inclusion of certain sites.--With respect to
telehealth services described in subparagraph (A), the
term `originating site' shall include the home of the
eligible telehealth individual at which the individual
is located at the time the service is furnished via a
telecommunications system.
``(C) No originating site facility fee.--No
facility fee shall be paid under paragraph (2)(B) to an
originating site with respect to a telehealth service
described in subparagraph (A) if the originating site
does not otherwise meet the requirements for an
originating site under paragraph (4)(C).
``(D) In-person assessments required.--Payment may
not be made for mental health telehealth services under
this paragraph (if such payment would not otherwise be
allowed under this subsection without application of
this paragraph) furnished to an eligible telehealth
individual unless--
``(i) prior to the provision of such mental
health telehealth services, a physician or
practitioner furnished an in-person assessment
of the needs of such individual for such
services; and
``(ii) a physician or practitioner
furnishes a reassessment of the needs of such
individual for such services at a frequency
specified by the Secretary.
``(E) Mental health telehealth services defined.--
For purposes of this paragraph, the term `mental health
telehealth service' means services identified by CPT
codes 90834 and 90837 (and as subsequently modified by
the Secretary).''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
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