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]
[S. 2061 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2061

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 15, 2021

    Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Ms. Smith, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Thune) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                          Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure coverage of 
          mental 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 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) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``subject to 
        subparagraph (B),'';
            (2) by striking ``(A) In general.--The geographic'' and 
        inserting ``The geographic''; and
            (3) 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 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 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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