Expanded Telehealth Access Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3875 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3875

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

                              June 6, 2023

 Ms. Sherrill (for herself, Mrs. Harshbarger, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. 
Carson, Mr. Valadao, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Thompson 
 of Pennsylvania, Mr. Mann, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Veasey, Ms. 
     Perez, Ms. Wild, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Allred, and Mr. 
 Gottheimer) 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 (2)--
                    (A) 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
                    (B) 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'';
            (2) in paragraph (3)(B), by inserting ``described in 
        subparagraph (C) of such section'' after ``practitioners''; and
            (3) in paragraph (4), 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.''.
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