Improving Access to Alternative Pain Management Act

Improving Access to Alternative Pain Management Act

This bill allows psychological evaluation requirements for Medicare coverage of specified neurostimulation services to be met via telehealth. The bill also expands Medicare coverage to include such telehealth services.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1580 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1580

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit the use of 
 certain psychological evaluation via telehealth for Medicare coverage 
    of neurostimulation services for the treatment of chronic pain.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 3, 2021

  Mr. Latta introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit the use of 
 certain psychological evaluation via telehealth for Medicare coverage 
    of neurostimulation services for the treatment of chronic pain.

    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 ``Improving Access to Alternative Pain 
Management Act''.

SEC. 2. PERMITTING CERTAIN PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS VIA TELEHEALTH FOR 
              MEDICARE COVERAGE OF NEUROSTIMULATION SERVICES FOR THE 
              TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN.

    (a) Permitting Use of Psychological Evaluation Via Telehealth for 
Purposes of Certain Coverage of Neurostimulation Services.--Section 
1834 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(z) Use of Psychological Evaluation Via Telehealth for Purposes 
of Coverage of Neurostimulation Services for the Treatment of Chronic 
Pain.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, beginning 
January 1, 2022, for coverage under this part of neurostimulation 
services, as identified under the National Coverage Determination 
section 160.7, titled Medicare National Coverage Determination for 
Electrical Nerve Stimulators, as in effect on January 1, 2020, for the 
treatment of chronic pain, any requirement for a psychological 
evaluation prior to receipt of the service may be satisfied through 
such an evaluation via telehealth.''.
    (b) Inclusion of Certain Psychological Evaluations as Telehealth 
Services.--Section 1834(m)(4)(F)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(4)(F)(i)) is amended by inserting before the period at the 
end the following: ``, and, beginning January 1, 2022, shall include 
psychological evaluations (identified by CPT codes 96130, 96131, 96136, 
96137, 96138, and 96139 and any successor codes and additional codes 
the Secretary determines may be necessary to perform the psychological 
evaluation furnished prior to the provision of neurostimulation 
services) furnished prior to the provision of neurostimulation services 
(as described in section 1834(z)) for the purpose of treating chronic 
pain''.
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