II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2904 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide guidance 

to States regarding Federal reimbursement for furnishing services and 

treatment for substance use disorders under Medicaid using telehealth 

services. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 22, 2018 

Mr. CARPER (for himself, Mr. THUNE, Mr. NELSON, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. WARNER, Mr. CORNYN, and Ms. STABENOW) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to provide guidance to States regarding Federal reimbursement for furnishing services and treatment for substance use disorders under Medicaid using telehealth 

services. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicaid Substance 

5 Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth Act’’. 


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•S 2904 IS

1 SEC. 2. GUIDANCE TO STATES REGARDING FEDERAL REIM2 BURSEMENT FOR FURNISHING SERVICES 

3 AND TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE DIS4 ORDERS UNDER MEDICAID USING TELE5 HEALTH SERVICES, INCLUDING IN SCHOOL6 BASED HEALTH CENTERS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 

9 Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the 

10 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall issue 

11 guidance to States on the following: 

12 (1) State options for Federal reimbursement of 

13 expenditures under Medicaid for furnishing services 

14 and treatment for substance use disorders, including 

15 assessment, medication-assisted treatment, coun16 seling, and medication management, using telehealth 

17 services. Such guidance shall also include guidance 

18 on furnishing services and treatments that address 

19 the needs of high risk individuals, including at least 

20 the following groups: 

21 (A) American Indians and Alaska Natives. 

22 (B) Adults under the age of 40. 

23 (C) Individuals with a history of nonfatal 

24 overdose. 

25 (2) State options for Federal reimbursement of 

26 expenditures under Medicaid for education directed 


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•S 2904 IS

1 to providers serving Medicaid beneficiaries with sub2 stance use disorders using the hub and spoke model, 

3 through contracts with managed care entities, 

4 through administrative claiming for disease manage5 ment activities, and under Delivery System Reform 

6 Incentive Payment (‘‘DSRIP’’) programs. 

7 (3) State options for Federal reimbursement of 

8 expenditures under Medicaid for furnishing services 

9 and treatment for substance use disorders for indi10 viduals enrolled in Medicaid in a school-based health 

11 center using telehealth services. 

12 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

13 (1) SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER.—The 

14 term ‘‘school-based health center’’ has the meaning 

15 given that term in section 2110(c)(9) of the Social 

16 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397jj(c)(9)). 

17 (2) TELEHEALTH SERVICES.—The term ‘‘tele18 health services’’ includes remote patient monitoring 

19 and other key modalities such as live video or syn20 chronous telehealth, store-and-forward or asyn21 chronous telehealth, mobile health, telephonic con22 sultation, and electronic consult including provider23 to-provider e-consults. 

Æ 


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