Expanded Telehealth Access Act

Bill: 118-s-2880
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]
Introduced: 2023-09-21
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Health personnel

Health technology, devices, supplies

Hearing, speech, and vision care

Home and outpatient care

Internet, web applications, social media

Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2023-09-21
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-09-21
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Expanded Telehealth Access Act</strong></p><p>This bill expands the types of health care practitioners who may provide telehealth services under Medicare.</p><p>Specifically, the bill permanently allows audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other providers designated by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services to provide&nbsp;telehealth services under Medicare. It also specifically allows occupational therapy assistants and physical therapist assistants to provide such services.</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2880 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 21, 2023 Mr. Daines (for himself, Ms. Smith , Ms. Murkowski , Ms. Rosen , and Mr. Moran ) 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 scope of practitioners eligible for payment for telehealth services under the Medicare program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expanded Telehealth Access Act . 2. Expanding the scope of practitioners eligible for payment for telehealth services under Medicare Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(m) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting the following before the period: (or, in the case of a telehealth service furnished on or after the date of enactment of the Expanded Telehealth Access Act by a therapy or therapist assistant described in subclause (II) or (III) of paragraph (4)(E)(ii), the Secretary shall pay with respect to such service furnished by such assistant the amount that would have been paid under this title with respect to such service furnished by such assistant had such service been furnished without the use of a telecommunications system) ; and (2) in paragraph (4), by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the following: (E) Practitioner described The term practitioner means any of the following: (i) A practitioner described in section 1842(b)(18)(C). (ii) With respect to telehealth services furnished on or after the date of enactment of the Expanded Telehealth Access Act — (I) a qualified audiologist (as defined in section 1861(ll)(4)(B)); (II) an occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant under the supervision of an occupational therapist; (III) a physical therapist and physical therapist assistant under the supervision of a physical therapist; (IV) a qualified speech-language pathologist (as defined in section 1861(ll)(4)(A)); (V) a facility or other entity described in paragraph (8) or (9) of section 1833(a) that furnishes a telehealth therapy service; and (VI) any additional provider of services or supplier, as specified by the Secretary, that is participating in the program under this title and furnishes a telehealth service. .