eTREAT Act

Bill: 115-s-2901
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced: 2018-05-22
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Drug trafficking and controlled substances

Drug, alcohol, tobacco use

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Health technology, devices, supplies

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2018-05-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-05-22
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act or the eTREAT Act</b></p> <p>This bill expands the availability of substance use disorder telehealth services under Medicare. Under current law, telehealth services are generally covered under Medicare only if such services are received by beneficiaries&nbsp;at specified types of sites that are located in rural areas. The bill exempts substance use disorder telehealth services from these requirements. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2901 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 22, 2018 Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Warner , Mr. Cardin , Mr. Cornyn , Mr. Whitehouse , Mr. Grassley , Mr. Schatz , Mr. Wicker , and Mrs. Hyde-Smith ) 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 expand the use of telehealth services for the treatment of opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expanding Telehealth Response to Ensure Addiction Treatment Act or the eTREAT Act . 2. Expanding the use of telehealth services for the treatment of opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(m) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (4)(C)(i), by striking paragraph (6) and inserting paragraphs (6) and (7) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (7) Treatment of substance use disorder services furnished through telehealth (A) Non-application of originating site requirements The requirements described in paragraph (4)(C) shall not apply with respect to telehealth services furnished on or after January 1, 2019, for purposes of treatment of substance use disorder, as determined by the Secretary. (B) No originating site facility fee for new sites No facility fee shall be paid under paragraph (2)(B) to an originating site with respect to a telehealth service described in subparagraph (A) if the originating site does not otherwise meet the requirements for an originating site under paragraph (4)(C). (C) Report Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the impact of this paragraph with respect to telehealth services on— (i) the utilization of health care items and services related to substance use disorders, including emergency department visits; and (ii) health outcomes related to substance use disorders, such as opioid overdose deaths. .