Title: Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth Act
This bill permanently expands Medicare coverage of telehealth services to include audio-only services and at-home evaluation and management services and mental and behavioral health services.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9035 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9035

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand accessibility 
       to certain telehealth services under the Medicare program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 18, 2020

  Mr. Smith of Missouri (for himself and Mr. Cardenas) 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 accessibility 
       to certain telehealth services under the Medicare program.

    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 ``Permanency for Audio-Only Telehealth 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING ACCESSIBILITY TO CERTAIN TELEHEALTH SERVICES UNDER 
              THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) Use of Audio-Only Telecommunications Systems for Certain 
Services.--Section 1834(m)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m(m)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
                    ``(G) Telecommunications system.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The term 
                        `telecommunications system' includes, in the 
                        case of the furnishing of a specified 
                        telehealth service (as defined in clause (ii)), 
                        a communications system consisting only of 
                        audio capabilities.
                            ``(ii) Specified telehealth service.--For 
                        purposes of clause (i), the term `specified 
                        telehealth service' means a telehealth service 
                        consisting of--
                                    ``(I) evaluation and management 
                                services;
                                    ``(II) mental and behavioral health 
                                services;
                                    ``(III) substance use disorder 
                                services; or
                                    ``(IV) any other service specified 
                                by the Secretary.''.
    (b) Removing Geographic Restrictions and Expanding the Use of the 
Home as an Originating Site for Certain Telehealth Services.--Section 
1834(m)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(7)) is 
amended--
            (1) in the header, by striking ``substance use disorder'' 
        and inserting ``certain'';
            (2) by striking ``with respect to telehealth services'' and 
        inserting the following: ``with respect to--
                    ``(A) telehealth services'';
            (3) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; 
        or''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(B) telehealth services consisting of evaluation 
                and management services or mental and behavioral health 
                services furnished on or after the date of the 
                enactment of this subparagraph to an eligible 
                telehealth individual at an originating site described 
                in paragraph (4)(C)(ii)(X).''.
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