Title: Evidence-Based Telehealth Expansion Act of 2017
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Evidence-Based Telehealth Expansion Act of 2017
This bill authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to waive certain requirements relating to coverage of telehealth services under Medicare (e.g., originating site requirements) if certain conditions are met.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3482 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3482

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand the use of 
     telehealth under the Medicare program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 27, 2017

    Mr. Johnson of Ohio (for himself and Ms. Matsui) 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 use of 
     telehealth 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 ``Evidence-Based Telehealth Expansion 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING THE USE OF TELEHEALTH THROUGH THE WAIVER OF CERTAIN 
              REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(5) Authority to waive requirements and limitations if 
        certain conditions met.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In the case of telehealth 
                services furnished on or after January 1, 2018, the 
                Secretary may waive any restriction applicable to the 
                coverage of telehealth services under this subsection 
                described in subparagraph (B) with respect to certain 
                providers of services, suppliers, provider groups, 
                sites of care, services, conditions, individuals 
                receiving the services, or States, as determined by the 
                Secretary, if each of the requirements described in 
                subparagraph (C) is met with respect to the waiver.
                    ``(B) Restrictions described.--For purposes of this 
                paragraph, restrictions applicable to the coverage of 
                telehealth services under this subsection shall include 
                requirements relating to qualifications for an 
                originating site under paragraph (4)(C)(ii), any 
                geographic limitations under paragraph (4)(C)(i) (other 
                than applicable State law requirements, including State 
                licensure requirements), any limitation on the use of 
                store-and-forward technologies described in paragraph 
                (1), any limitation on the type of health care provider 
                who may furnish such services (other than the 
                requirement that the provider is a Medicare-enrolled 
                provider), or any limitation on specific codes 
                designated as telehealth services that are covered 
                under this title pursuant to this subsection (provided 
                such codes are clinically appropriate to furnish 
                remotely).
                    ``(C) Requirements for waiver.--The requirements 
                described in this subparagraph are, with respect to the 
                waiver of a restriction described in subparagraph (B), 
                the following:
                            ``(i) The Secretary determines that the 
                        waiver is expected to--
                                    ``(I) reduce spending under this 
                                title without reducing the quality of 
                                care; or
                                    ``(II) improve the quality of 
                                patient care without increasing 
                                spending.
                            ``(ii) The Chief Actuary of the Centers for 
                        Medicare & Medicaid Services certifies that 
                        such waiver would reduce (or would not result 
                        in any increase in) net program spending under 
                        this title.
                            ``(iii) The Secretary determines that such 
                        waiver would not deny or limit the coverage or 
                        provision of benefits under this title for 
                        individuals.
                    ``(D) Public comment.--The Secretary shall 
                establish a process by which stakeholders may (on at 
                least an annual basis) submit requests for a waiver 
                under this paragraph.''.
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