Title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a pilot program to expand telehealth options under the Medicare program for individuals residing in public housing located in health professional shortage areas, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to establish a five-year pilot program to expand Medicare coverage of telehealth services for enrollees who reside in public housing. Specifically, the program shall provide for Medicare coverage with respect to "store-and-forward technologies" (i.e., the electronic transmission of medical information, such as digital images), which are covered as telehealth services under current law only with respect to demonstration programs conducted in Alaska and Hawaii. In addition, the program shall provide for increased flexibility with respect to geographic and other requirements.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 766 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 766

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a pilot 
  program to expand telehealth options under the Medicare program for 
 individuals residing in public housing located in health professional 
                shortage areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 31, 2017

Ms. Velazquez 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 establish a pilot 
  program to expand telehealth options under the Medicare program for 
 individuals residing in public housing located in health professional 
                shortage areas, 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. PILOT PROGRAM TO EXPAND TELEHEALTH OPTIONS UNDER THE 
              MEDICARE PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General.--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) Pilot program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--During a five-year period that 
                begins not later than six months after the date of the 
                enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall 
                establish and implement a pilot program that applies 
                this subsection, with respect to an individual 
                described in subparagraph (B), in the manner in which 
                the Secretary would apply such subsection if--
                            ``(i) such pilot program were, for purposes 
                        of the provision of paragraph (1) relating to 
                        store-and-forward technologies, a Federal 
                        telemedicine demonstration program conducted in 
                        Alaska or Hawaii;
                            ``(ii) any service furnished under the 
                        pilot program were, for purposes of paragraph 
                        (4)(C)(i) (relating to the furnishing of 
                        services at rural sites), furnished at a site 
                        that is located in an area described in 
                        subclause (I) of such paragraph or a county 
                        described in subclause (II) of such paragraph;
                            ``(iii) paragraph (3)(A) required the 
                        Secretary to apply the provisions of section 
                        1848(g) and subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 
                        section 1842(b)(18) to a physician or 
                        practitioner receiving payment under this 
                        subsection in the same manner as they apply to 
                        physicians, suppliers (including the suppliers 
                        that, pursuant to clause (vi), are included in 
                        the definition of `practitioner' for purposes 
                        of the pilot program), or practitioners under 
                        such sections;
                            ``(iv) the term `telehealth service', as 
                        defined in paragraph (4)(F)(i), included, in 
                        addition to such the service described in such 
                        paragraph, any physical, respiratory, 
                        occupational, psychological, and speech therapy 
                        for which coverage is provided under this title 
                        when the individual physician or practitioner 
                        providing the service is at the same location 
                        as the beneficiary;
                            ``(v) the term `distant site', as defined 
                        in paragraph (4)(A), included, in addition to 
                        the sites described in such paragraph, 
                        Federally qualified health centers (as defined 
                        in section 1861(aa)(4)) and rural health 
                        clinics (as defined in section 1861(aa)(2)); 
                        and
                            ``(vi) the term `practitioner', as defined 
                        in paragraph (4)(E), included, in addition to 
                        the individuals described in such paragraph, 
                        respiratory therapists, audiologists, 
                        occupational therapists, physical therapists, 
                        and speech language pathologists.
                    ``(B) Individuals described.--An individual 
                described in this subparagraph is an individual who--
                            ``(i) is enrolled under this part who 
                        receives a telehealth service; and
                            ``(ii) resides in public housing (as such 
                        term is defined in section 3(b) of the United 
                        States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 
                        1437a(b))).
                    ``(C) Issuance of regulations.--Not later than the 
                date that is six months after the date of enactment of 
                this paragraph, the Secretary shall issue such 
                regulations as are necessary to carry out the pilot 
                program described in this paragraph.''.
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