Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-5380
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5]
Introduced: 2014-07-31 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Allied health services
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Department of Health and Human Services
Digestive and metabolic diseases
Government studies and investigations
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Hearing, speech, and vision care
Home and outpatient care
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicare
Rural conditions and development
Telephone and wireless communication
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2014-07-31
text: 
Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with regard to payment for telehealth services to include in the term &quot;originating site&quot; additional sites, including any federally qualified health center and any rural health clinic, at which the eligible telehealth individual is located at the time the service is furnished via a telecommunications system. 
 
Prohibits application of the originating site facility fee to the additional sites.
 
Authorizes additional telehealth providers, including a certified diabetes educator or licensed respiratory therapist, audiologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or speech language pathologist.
 
Extends Medicare coverage to remote patient management services for certain chronic health conditions.
 
Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to study the effectiveness of remote patient monitoring on decreasing hospital readmissions for specified chronic conditions, and the savings to the Medicare program associated with use of such monitoring.
 
Authorizes home telehealth sites as additional originating sites.
 
Directs GAO to study the effectiveness of using described telehealth services between therapy providers and patients, any associated savings, and the potential for greater use of telehealth services for other forms of therapy
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement payment methods to apply in the case of anyone who would be an eligible telehealth individual except that the telehealth services are furnished at a site other than an originating site.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-08-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2014-07-31
text: 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.
action_date: 2014-07-31
text: 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.
action_date: 2014-07-31
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-07-31
text: Introduced in House