Title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth and telecommunications technology.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This bill permanently removes in-person evaluation requirements for mental health telehealth services under Medicare.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8497 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8497

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person 
   requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished 
         through telehealth and telecommunications technology.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2022

   Mr. Hern (for himself, Mr. Curtis, and Mr. Bacon) 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 remove in-person 
   requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished 
         through telehealth and telecommunications technology.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REMOVING THE IN-PERSON REQUIREMENTS UNDER MEDICARE FOR 
              MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FURNISHED THROUGH TELEHEALTH AND 
              TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) Removing In-Person Requirements for Mental Health Services 
Furnished Through Telehealth.--Section 1834(m)(7) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(7)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(7) Treatment of substance use disorder services and 
        mental health services furnished through telehealth.--The 
        geographic requirements described in paragraph (4)(C)(i) shall 
        not apply with respect to telehealth services furnished on or 
        after July 1, 2019, to an eligible telehealth individual with a 
        substance use disorder diagnosis for purposes of treatment of 
        such disorder or co-occurring mental health disorder, as 
        determined by the Secretary, or, on or after the first day 
        after the end of the emergency period described in section 
        1135(g)(1)(B), to an eligible telehealth individual for 
        purposes of diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a mental 
        health disorder, as determined by the Secretary, at an 
        originating site described in paragraph (4)(C)(ii) (other than 
        an originating site described in subclause (IX) of such 
        paragraph) or, for the period for which clause (iii) of 
        paragraph (4)(C) applies, at any site described in such 
        clause.''.
    (b) Mental Health Visits Furnished by Rural Health Clinics.--
Section 1834(y) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(y)) is 
amended--
            (1) in the heading, by striking ``to hospice patients''; 
        and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``prior to the day that 
        is the 152nd day after the end of the emergency period 
        described in section 1135(g)(1)(B))''.
    (c) Mental Health Visits Furnished by Federally Qualified Health 
Centers.--Section 1834(o)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m(o)(4) is amended--
            (1) in the heading, by striking ``to hospice patients''; 
        and
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``prior to the day 
        that is the 152nd day after the end of the emergency period 
        described in section 1135(g)(1)(B))''.
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