Title: Modernized Medicine Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Modernized Medicine Act
This bill increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid telehealth services that are furnished during the public health emergency declared on January 31, 2020, relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). In order to receive the increased FMAP, state Medicaid programs must provide coverage that is consistent with Medicare coverage of telehealth services.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6538 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6538

To provide for a temporary increase in Federal financial participation 
   under the Medicaid program for telehealth services, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 2020

     Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mr. Upton, and Ms. Blunt Rochester) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for a temporary increase in Federal financial participation 
   under the Medicaid program for telehealth services, 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 ``Modernized Medicine Act''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY INCREASE IN MEDICAID FEDERAL FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION 
              FOR TELEHEALTH SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b), for each calendar 
quarter occurring during the period beginning on the first day of the 
emergency period defined in paragraph (1)(B) of section 1135(g) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(g)) and ending on the last day 
of the calendar quarter in which the last day of such emergency period 
occurs, in the case of a State that has expenditures for telehealth 
services furnished during such quarter for which payment may be made to 
the State under section 1903(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396b(a)), the percentage of Federal financial participation otherwise 
required to be paid to such State under such section for such amounts 
expended shall be increased by one percentage point.
    (b) Requirements.--A State described in subsection (a) may not 
receive the percentage increase in Federal financial participation 
described in such subsection with respect to a calendar quarter unless 
the State provides for telehealth services under the State plan 
approved under such title XIX (or a waiver of such plan) during such 
quarter in the same manner and to the same extent that telehealth 
services are covered under section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)), including pursuant to any waiver under section 
1135 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5). Nothing in the preceding sentence 
shall be construed as requiring a State to pay for telehealth services 
furnished to an individual eligible under the State plan (or waiver) at 
a rate that would exceed the payment amount that otherwise would be 
made under the State plan (or waiver) for such services.
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