Title: Telemental Health Expansion Act of 2020
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Telemental Health Expansion Act of 2019
This bill modifies requirements relating to coverage of mental health telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill removes restrictions that require the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) to be in a rural area, and allows the home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site for such services.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5201 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5201

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage 
    under the Medicare program of certain mental health telehealth 
                   services, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2019

    Ms. Matsui (for herself and Mr. Johnson of Ohio) 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 provide coverage 
    under the Medicare program of certain mental health 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 ``Telemental Health Expansion Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING THE USE OF TELEHEALTH FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(m)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4)(C)(i), by striking ``and (7)'' and 
        inserting ``(7), and (8)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Treatment of mental health services furnished through 
        telehealth.--The geographic requirements described in paragraph 
        (4)(C)(i) (other than applicable State law requirements, 
        including State licensure requirements) shall not apply with 
        respect to telehealth services that are mental health services 
        (as determined by the Secretary) furnished on or after January 
        1, 2021, to an eligible telehealth individual at an originating 
        site described in paragraph (4)(C)(ii) (other than an 
        originating site described in subclause (IX) of such 
        paragraph).''.
    (b) Inclusion of the Home as an Originating Site.--Section 
1834(m)(4)(C)(ii)(X) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)(C)(ii)(X)) is 
amended by striking ``paragraph (7)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (7) 
and (8)''.
    (c) Additional Services.--As part of the implementation of the 
amendments made by this section, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall consider whether additional services should be added to 
the services specified in paragraph (4)(F)(i) of section 1834(m) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m) for authorized payment under paragraph (1) 
of such section.
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