Title: TeleCAST Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Telehealth for Children’s Access to Services and Treatment Act or the TeleCAST Act
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on children's access to substance use disorder services under Medicaid. The report must include an analysis of: (1) state options to improve access, such as via telehealth services at school-based health centers in underserved areas; and (2) reimbursement rates for substance use disorder services.
In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must report on ways to reduce barriers to the use of telehealth services for children with substance use disorders under Medicaid. The report must include an analysis of the differences between telehealth and in-person services with respect to specified metrics (e.g., costs and quality of care).

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2910 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2910

    To evaluate access to services and treatment for substance use 
disorders and to telehealth services and remote patient monitoring for 
                 pediatric populations under Medicaid.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2018

   Mr. Roberts (for himself, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Warner, Mr. 
  Thune, Mr. Carper, and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To evaluate access to services and treatment for substance use 
disorders and to telehealth services and remote patient monitoring for 
                 pediatric populations under Medicaid.

    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 ``Telehealth for Children's Access to 
Services and Treatment Act'' or the ``TeleCAST Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Comptroller general.--The term ``Comptroller General'' 
        means the Comptroller General of the United States.
            (2) School-based health center.--The term ``school-based 
        health center'' has the meaning given that term in section 
        2110(c)(9) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397jj(c)(9)).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (4) Telehealth services.--The term ``telehealth services'' 
        includes remote patient monitoring and other key modalities 
        such as live video or synchronous telehealth, store-and-forward 
        or asynchronous telehealth, mobile health, telephonic 
        consultation, and electronic consult including provider-to-
        provider e-consults.
            (5) Underserved area.--The term ``underserved area'' means 
        a health professional shortage area (as defined in section 
        332(a)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
        254e(a)(1)(A))) and a medically underserved area (according to 
        a designation under section 330(b)(3)(A) of the Public Health 
        Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(3)(A))).

SEC. 3. GAO EVALUATION OF CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO SERVICES AND TREATMENT 
              FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS UNDER MEDICAID.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General shall evaluate children's 
access to services and treatment for substance use disorders under 
Medicaid. The evaluation shall include an analysis of State options for 
improving children's access to such services and treatment and for 
improving outcomes, including by increasing the number of Medicaid 
providers who offer services or treatment for substance use disorders 
in a school-based health center using telehealth services, particularly 
in rural and underserved areas. The evaluation shall include an 
analysis of Medicaid provider reimbursement rates for services and 
treatment for substance use disorders.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report 
containing the results of the evaluation conducted under subsection 
(a), together with recommendations for such legislation and 
administrative action as the Comptroller General determines 
appropriate.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON REDUCING BARRIERS TO USING TELEHEALTH SERVICES AND 
              REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING FOR PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS UNDER 
              MEDICAID.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall issue a report to the 
Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representative identifying best practices and 
potential solutions for reducing barriers to using telehealth services 
to furnish services and treatment for substance use disorders among 
pediatric populations under Medicaid. The report shall include--
            (1) analyses of the best practices, barriers, and potential 
        solutions for using telehealth services to diagnose and provide 
        services and treatment for children with substance use 
        disorders, including opioid use disorder; and
            (2) identification and analysis of the differences, if any, 
        in furnishing services and treatment for children with 
        substance use disorders using telehealth services and using 
        services delivered in person, such as, and to the extent 
        feasible, with respect to--
                    (A) utilization rates;
                    (B) costs;
                    (C) avoidable inpatient admissions and 
                readmissions;
                    (D) quality of care; and
                    (E) patient, family, and provider satisfaction.
    (b) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish the report required 
under subsection (a) on a public Internet website of the Department of 
Health and Human Services.
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