I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6792 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to simplify payments for 
telehealth services furnished by Federally qualified health centers or 
rural health clinics under the Medicare program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 8, 2020 
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska (for himself and Mr. O’HALLERAN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to simplify 
payments for telehealth services furnished by Federally 
qualified health centers or rural health clinics under the 
Medicare program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Telehealth 
for Underserved Communities Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. SIMPLIFYING PAYMENTS FOR TELEHEALTH SERV-
ICES FURNISHED BY FEDERALLY QUALIFIED 
HEALTH CENTERS OR RURAL HEALTH CLIN-
ICS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1834(m)(8)(B) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(8)(B)) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(B) PAYMENT.—The Secretary shall pay 
to a Federally qualified health center or rural 
health clinic serving as a distant site that fur-
nishes a telehealth service to an eligible tele-
health individual an amount equal to the 
amount that such Federally qualified health 
center or rural health clinic would have been 
paid under the payment methodology described 
in section 1834(o) or section 1833(a)(3), re-
spectively, had such service been furnished 
without the use of a telecommunications sys-
tem. Costs associated with the delivery of such 
services by a Federally qualified health center 
or rural health clinic serving as a distant site 
pursuant to this paragraph shall be considered 
allowable costs for purposes of the payment 
methodologies described in the previous sen-
tence.’’. 
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(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to payments for 
telehealth services furnished on or after the first day of 
the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)). 
SEC. 3. INCREASING LIMITS ON PAYMENT FOR RURAL 
HEALTH CLINIC SERVICES. 
Section 1833(f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395l(f)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘, and’’ and 
inserting a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(before 2020)’’ after 
‘‘subsequent year’’; and 
(B) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(3) in 2020, at $92.03 per visit; and 
‘‘(4) in a subsequent year, at the limit estab-
lished under this subsection for the previous year in-
creased by the percentage increase in the MEI (as 
so defined) applicable to primary care services (as so 
defined) furnished as of the first day of that year.’’. 
Æ 
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