Increasing Telehealth Access in Medicare Act

Summary: Increasing Telehealth Access in Medicare Act or the ITAM Act This bill allows Medicare Advantage organizations to include additional telehealth services as basic benefits&nbsp;in their annual bids beginning in plan year 2020.  The bill also permits payment under Medicare for chronic care management services&nbsp;that use&nbsp;specified telecommunication technologies. The bill increases funding available to the Medicare Improvement Fund. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Increasing Telehealth Access in 
Medicare Act'' or the ``ITAM Act''.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL TELEHEALTH SERVICES IN MEDICARE 
              ADVANTAGE ORGANIZATION BIDS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1852 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395w-22) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1)(B)(i), by adding at the end the 
        following new sentence: ``For plan year 2020 and each 
        subsequent plan year, for purposes of subsection (m) and 
        section 1854, in the case that an MA plan makes an election 
        described in subsection (m)(1) with respect to such plan year, 
        additional telehealth services shall be treated as a benefit 
        under the original medicare fee-for-service program option with 
        respect to such plan and plan year.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(m) Provision of Additional Telehealth Services.--
            ``(1) MA plan option.--For purposes of subsection 
        (a)(1)(B)(i), an election described in this paragraph, with 
        respect to an MA plan and plan year, is an election by the 
        sponsor of such plan to provide under the plan for such plan 
        year, in accordance with the subsequent provisions of this 
        subsection, additional telehealth services (as defined in 
        paragraph (2)) as a benefit under the original medicare fee-
        for-service program option. Such additional telehealth 
        services, with respect to a plan year, shall be in addition to 
        benefits included under the original medicare fee-for-service 
        program option for such year.
            ``(2) Additional telehealth services defined.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For purposes of this subsection 
                and section 1854, the term `additional telehealth 
                services' means, subject to subparagraph (C), services, 
                with respect to a year--
                            ``(i) for which payment may be made under 
                        part B (without regard to application of 
                        section 1834(m));
                            ``(ii) that, if furnished via a 
                        telecommunications system, would not be payable 
                        under section 1834(m);
                            ``(iii) furnished using electronic 
                        information and telecommunications technology;
                            ``(iv) furnished in accordance with such 
                        requirements as the Secretary specifies 
                        pursuant to paragraph (3); and
                            ``(v) which are identified for such year by 
                        the Secretary as appropriate to furnish using 
                        electronic information and telecommunications 
                        technology where a physician (as defined in 
                        section 1861(r)) or practitioner (described in 
                        section 1842(b)(18)(C)) furnishing the service 
                        is not at the same location as the plan 
                        enrollee.
                    ``(B) Flexibility for phasing in identifications.--
                In making identifications under subparagraph (A)(v), 
                the Secretary shall make such identifications annually 
                and may make such identifications in a manner that 
                results in additional telehealth services being phased 
                in, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
                    ``(C) Exclusion of capital and infrastructure costs 
                and investments.--For purposes of this subsection and 
                section 1854, the term `additional telehealth services' 
                does not include capital and infrastructure costs and 
                investments relating to such benefits provided pursuant 
                to this subsection.
            ``(3) Requirements for additional telehealth services.--The 
        Secretary shall specify requirements for the provision of 
        additional telehealth services with respect to--
                    ``(A) qualifications (other than licensure) of 
                physicians and practitioners who furnish such services;
                    ``(B) the technology used in furnishing such 
                services;
                    ``(C) factors necessary for coordination of 
                additional telehealth services with other services; and
                    ``(D) such other criteria (such as clinical 
                criteria) as determined by the Secretary.
            ``(4) Enrollee choice.--An MA plan that provides a service 
        as an additional telehealth service may not, when furnished 
        without use of electronic information and telecommunications 
        technology, deny access to the equivalent in-person service.
            ``(5) Construction.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In determining if an MA 
                organization or MA plan, as applicable, is in 
                compliance with each requirement specified in 
                subparagraph (B), such determination shall be made 
                without regard to any additional telehealth services 
                covered by the plan offered by such organization or 
                plan pursuant to this subsection.
                    ``(B) Requirements specified.--The requirements 
                specified in this subparagraph are the following:
                            ``(i) The requirements under subsection 
                        (d).
                            ``(ii) The requirement under subsection 
                        (a)(1) with respect to covering benefits under 
                        the original medicare fee-for-service program 
                        option, as defined in the first sentence of 
                        paragraph (B)(i) of such subsection.''.
    (b) Inclusion of Additional Telehealth Services in MA Organization 
Bid Amount.--Section 1854(a)(6)(A)(ii)(I) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395w-24(a)(6)(A)(ii)(I)) is amended by inserting ``, 
including, for plan year 2020 and subsequent plan years, the provision 
of such benefits through the use of additional telehealth services 
under section 1852(m)'' before the semicolon at the end.

SEC. 3. USE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS IN FURNISHING CHRONIC CARE 
              MANAGEMENT SERVICES.

    Section 1848(b)(8) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395(b)(8)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Clarification.--In carrying out this 
                paragraph, with respect to chronic care management 
                services, the Secretary may, subject to subparagraph 
                (B), make payment for such services furnished through 
                the use of secure messaging, Internet, store and 
                forward technologies, or other non-face-to-face 
                communication methods determined appropriate by the 
                Secretary.''.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING PARITY OF TELEHEALTH SERVICES.

    It is the sense of Congress that there should be--
            (1) parity, with respect to access to telehealth, between 
        the original medicare fee-for-service program under parts A and 
        B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act and the Medicare 
        Advantage program under part C of such title; and
            (2) access to medically appropriate, quality telehealth for 
        all Medicare beneficiaries.

SEC. 5. DEPOSIT OF SAVINGS INTO MEDICARE IMPROVEMENT FUND.

    Section 1898(b)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395iii(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``during and after fiscal year 
2021, $270,000,000'' and inserting ``during and after fiscal year 2021, 
$325,000,000''.