HEALTH Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-7187
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
Introduced: 2020-06-11
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Health technology, devices, supplies

Home and outpatient care

Internet and video services

Internet, web applications, social media

Medicare

Rural conditions and development
Latest action: action_date: 2020-06-11
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.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-06-11
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Helping Ensure Access to Local TeleHealth Act of 2020 or the HEALTH Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill modifies requirements relating to Medicare coverage of telehealth services that are furnished by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs). </p> <p>Specifically, the bill permanently allows FQHCs and RHCs to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner) for telehealth services and excludes such services from certain geographic restrictions. Payment must be made in the same manner as for non-telehealth services, rather than in accordance with a separate methodology determined by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7187 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 11, 2020 Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Butterfield ) 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 provide for permanent payments for telehealth services furnished by Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics under the Medicare program.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helping Ensure Access to Local TeleHealth Act of 2020 or the HEALTH Act of 2020 . 2. Providing for permanent cost-related payments for telehealth services furnished by Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics under the Medicare program and permanently removing originating site facility and location requirements for distant site telehealth services furnished by such centers and such clinics (a) Permanent telehealth payments Section 1834(m)(8) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(8) ) is amended— (1) in the header, by striking during emergency period ; (2) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking During the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) and inserting With respect to telehealth services furnished on or after the date of the beginning of the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) ; and (3) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following new subparagraph: (B) Payment (i) In general A telehealth service furnished by a rural health clinic or a Federally qualified health center serving as a distant site to an individual shall be deemed to be so furnished to such individual as an outpatient of such clinic or facility (as applicable) for purposes of paragraph (1) or (3), respectively, of section 1861(aa) and payable as a rural health clinic service or Federally qualified health center service (as applicable) under section 1833(a)(3) or under the prospective payment system established under section 1834(o), respectively. (ii) Treatment of costs for FQHC PPS calculations and RHC AIR calculations Costs associated with the delivery of telehealth services by a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic serving as a distant site pursuant to this paragraph shall be considered allowable costs for purposes of the prospective payment system established under section 1834(o) and any payment methodologies developed under section 1833(a)(3), as applicable. . (b) Elimination of originating site requirements for telehealth services furnished by FQHCs or RHCs (1) In general Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(m) ), as amended by subsection (a), is further amended— (A) in paragraph (4)(C)(i), by striking and (7) and inserting (7), and (8) ; and (B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (C) Nonapplication of originating site requirements The geographic and site requirements described in paragraph (4)(C) shall not apply with respect to telehealth services furnished by a Federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic serving as a distant site. . (2) Special payment rule for originating sites with respect to telehealth services furnished by an FQHC or RHC Section 1834(m)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(2)(B) ) is amended— (A) in clause (i), by striking clause (ii) and inserting clauses (ii) and (iii) ; and (B) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iii) Special rule for telehealth services furnished by FQHCs and RHCs No facility fee shall be paid under this subparagraph to an originating site with respect to telehealth services furnished by a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic serving as a distant site unless such originating site is a site described in any of subclauses (I) through (IX) of paragraph (4)(C)(ii). . (c) Treatment of FQHC and RHC telehealth services as a visit The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall revise section 405.2463 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation) to provide that, in the case of a Federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic serving as a distant site furnishing telehealth services to an individual in accordance with section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(m) ), such services so furnished are considered to constitute a visit to such center or such clinic (as applicable) by such individual.