Expanded Telehealth Access Act

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expanded Telehealth Access Act 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) (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) by striking or a practitioner (described in section 1842(b)(18)(C)) or a professional described in paragraph (4)(E)) (B) by striking individual physician or practitioner individual physician or professional (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) by striking practitioner professional (B) by inserting before located at a distant site (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)(II), shall pay with respect to such assistant) (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)(II), the amount that would have been paid under this title with respect to such assistant) would have been paid under this title (3) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking or practitioner or professional (4) in paragraph (4)— (A) in each of subparagraphs (A) and (C), by striking or practitioner or professional (B) by amending subparagraph (E) to read as follows: (E) Professional described A professional described in this subparagraph is— (i) a practitioner described in section 1842(b)(18)(C); or (ii) with respect to services furnished on or after the date of enactment of the Expanded Telehealth Access Act, a licensed— (I) audiologist; (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) speech language pathologist; (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. . (b) Additional covered telehealth services Section 1834(m)(4)(F)(i) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)(F)(i) Such term shall include, audiology services (as defined in section 1861(ll)(3)) and outpatient therapy services (including such services furnished by a therapy assistant (as defined by the Secretary)), including physical therapy of the type described in section 1861(p), occupational therapy of the type that are described in section 1861(g), and speech-language pathology services of the type described in section 1861(ll)(2).

Summary: 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, and includes specified related services as eligible Medicare telehealth services. Currently, the CMS is authorized to waive requirements for Medicare telehealth services during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), 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.