Expanded Telehealth Access Act
This bill permanently allows audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other providers designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide telehealth services under Medicare.
Currently, the CMS is authorized to waive requirements for Medicare telehealth services during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19, and it has done so to allow all providers that are otherwise eligible to furnish in-person services under Medicare to also furnish telehealth services.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2168 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2168
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand the scope of
practitioners eligible for payment for telehealth services under the
Medicare program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 23, 2021
Ms. Sherrill (for herself, Mr. McKinley, Mr. Morelle, Mr. Fitzpatrick,
Mr. Sires, Ms. Tenney, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Mr.
Rush, Mr. Young, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr.
Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Carson, and Mr. O'Halleran) 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 expand the scope of
practitioners eligible for payment for telehealth services under the
Medicare program, and for other purposes.
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 ``Expanded Telehealth Access Act''.
SEC. 2. EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF PRACTITIONERS ELIGIBLE FOR PAYMENT FOR
TELEHEALTH SERVICES UNDER MEDICARE.
(a) Telehealth Provider Parity.--Section 1834(m) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) by striking ``described in section
1842(b)(18)(C)'' and inserting ``as described in
paragraph (4)(E))''; and
(B) by striking ``individual physician or
practitioner'' and inserting ``individual physician or
practitioner described in paragraph (4)(E)'';
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``practitioner'' each place it
appears and inserting ``practitioner as described in
paragraph (4)(E)'' each such place;
(B) by inserting before ``located at a distant
site'' the following ``(or, in the case of an
occupational therapy assistant described in paragraph
(4)(E)(ii)(II) or a physical therapist assistant
described in paragraph (4)(E)(ii)(III), shall pay with
respect to such assistant)''; and
(C) by inserting ``(or, in the case of an
occupational therapy assistant described in paragraph
(4)(E)(ii)(II) or a physical therapist assistant
described in paragraph (4)(E)(ii)(III), the amount that
would have been paid under this title with respect to
such assistant)'' after ``would have been paid under
this title'';
(3) in paragraph (3)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or
practitioner'' and inserting ``or practitioner
described in paragraph (4)(E)''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``described
in subparagraph (C) of such section'' after
``practitioners''; and
(4) in paragraph (4)--
(A) in each of subparagraphs (A) and (C), by
inserting ``described in paragraph (4)(E)'' after
``practitioner''; and
(B) by amending subparagraph (E) to read as
follows:
``(E) Practitioner described.--The term
`practitioner' means any of the following:
``(i) A practitioner described in section
1842(b)(18)(C).
``(ii) With respect to services furnished
on or after the date of enactment of the
Expanded Telehealth Access Act, a licensed--
``(I) qualified audiologist (as
defined in section 1861(ll)(4)(B);
``(II) occupational therapist and
occupational therapy assistant under
the supervision of an occupational
therapist;
``(III) physical therapist and
physical therapist assistant under the
supervision of a physical therapist;
``(IV) qualified speech-language
pathologist (as defined in section
1861(ll)(4)(A));
``(V) facility described in
paragraph (8) or (9) of section 1833(a)
that furnishes telehealth therapy
services; and
``(VI) any additional health care
provider, as specified by the
Secretary, who participates under this
title and furnishes a service that is
included as a telehealth service under
this subsection.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
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.
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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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