Title: Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021
This bill eliminates certain restrictions relating to Medicare coverage of mental health services that are provided through telehealth.
Current law allows for coverage of such services regardless of the geographic location of the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as long as the beneficiary previously received in-person services and continues to receive in-person services at specified intervals. The bill eliminates these in-person requirements.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4058 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4058

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure coverage of 
  mental and behavioral health services furnished through telehealth.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 22, 2021

    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 ensure coverage of 
  mental and behavioral health services furnished through telehealth.

    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 Care Access Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING COVERAGE FOR MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES 
              FURNISHED THROUGH TELEHEALTH.

    (a) In General.--Section 1834(m)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(m)(7)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``mental health services'' and all that 
        follows through ``The geographic'' and inserting ``mental and 
        behavioral health services furnished through telehealth.--The 
        geographic'';
            (2) by striking ``subject to subparagraph (B),'';
            (3) by inserting ``, or for the provision of behavioral 
        health services'' after ``or treatment of a mental health 
        disorder''; and
            (4) by striking subparagraph (B).
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of section 123 of division 
CC of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260).

SEC. 3. STUDY AND REPORT ON UTILIZATION OF MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 
              SERVICES FURNISHED THROUGH TELEHEALTH.

    Not later than 1 year after the first day after the end of the 
emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(g)(1)(B)), the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the utilization of 
mental and behavioral health services furnished through telehealth 
under section 1834(m)(7) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(7)), that 
includes any recommendations of the Secretary regarding--
            (1) fraud or abuse prevention with respect to such 
        services; and
            (2) additional funding that the Office of Inspector General 
        of the Department of Health and Human Services may require for 
        purposes of conducting audits, investigations, and other 
        oversight and enforcement activities with respect to the 
        furnishing of such services.
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