Transparent Telehealth Bills Act of 2024

Bill: 118-hr-9457
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bean, Aaron [R-FL-4]
Introduced: 2024-09-06
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Employee benefits and pensions

Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access

Health technology, devices, supplies
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-19
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 785.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 785 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9457 [Report No. 118–876, Part I] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 6, 2024 Mr. Bean of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce , and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , 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 December 16, 2024 Reported from the Committee on Education and the Workforce with an amendment Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic December 16, 2024 Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period ending not later than December 19, 2024 December 19, 2024 Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 6, 2024 A BILL To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to prohibit increased payments under a group health plan or group health insurance coverage for telehealth services furnished by a provider located at a facility.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Transparent Telehealth Bills Act of 2024 . 2. Prohibiting increased payments under a group health plan or group health insurance coverage for telehealth services furnished by a provider located at a facility (a) In general Subpart B of part 7 of subtitle B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ( 29 U.S.C. 1185 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 726. Prohibition on increased payments for telehealth services furnished by a provider located at a facility (a) In general In the case of a telehealth service furnished to a participant or beneficiary of a group health plan or group health insurance coverage by a health care provider located at a health care facility, the total amount recognized by such plan or coverage as payment for such service (including any facility fee or other amount that may be billed separately by such facility in relation to such provider’s furnishing of such service) may not exceed the total amount that would have been recognized by such plan or coverage as payment for such service had such provider not been located at such a facility. (b) Telehealth service defined For purposes of this section, the term telehealth service means a service furnished by a health care provider via a telecommunications system where such provider is not at the same location as the individual receiving such service. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents in section 1 of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 725 the following new item: Sec. 726. Prohibition on increased payments for telehealth services furnished by a provider located at a facility. . (c) Report Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on what is known about the use of telehealth under group health plans and group or individual health insurance coverage (as such terms are defined in section 2791 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x )). Such report shall include the following: (1) Trends and statistics regarding the use of telehealth for specific types of care, including primary care, mental health care, and specialty care. (2) Trends and statistics regarding the availability, access, and utilization of telehealth services by individuals residing in rural areas and urban areas. (3) Trends and statistics regarding the application of hospital facility fees in the context of telehealth services. (4) Trends and statistics regarding how individuals access telehealth services, including with respect to the devices used and tools offered by such plans and issuers of such coverage to facilitate access to such services and with respect to the utilization of audio-only telehealth services. (5) Trends and statistics with respect to individuals accessing telehealth services provided from physicians or other medical professionals residing in a State other than the State that the individual is located in while receiving such services and with respect to applicable State laws or State-to-State compacts that impact cross-State provision of telehealth services. (6) Trends and statistics regarding payment and reimbursement for telehealth services. (7) Trends and statistics regarding premiums for such plans and coverage offering telehealth services. (d) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. 3. Prohibiting health care providers and facilities from imposing certain facility fees for telehealth (a) In general Subtitle B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ( 29 U.S.C. 1021 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following new part: 9 Billing Requirements for Health Care Facilities and Providers 901. Limitation on telehealth facility fees A health care facility may not bill a separate facility fee when a health care provider who provided telehealth services is authorized to bill independently for the professional services rendered. . (b) Enforcement Section 502 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ( 29 U.S.C. 1132 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(6), by striking or (9) and inserting (9), or (13) ; and (2) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (13) If a health care provider or facility is found by the Secretary to be in violation of section 901, the Secretary may assess a civil monetary penalty against such provider or facility in an amount not to exceed $10,000 per violation. . (c) Clerical amendment The table of contents of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ( 29 U.S.C. 1001 note) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 804 the following new item: Part 9—Billing Requirements for Health Care Facilities and Providers 901. Limitation on telehealth facility fees. .

December 19, 2024 Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9457 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 6, 2024 Mr. Bean of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce , and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , 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 the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to prohibit increased payments under a group health plan or group health insurance coverage for telehealth services furnished by a provider located at a facility.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Transparent Telehealth Bills Act of 2024 . 2. Prohibiting increased payments under a group health plan or group health insurance coverage for telehealth services furnished by a provider located at a facility (a) In general Subpart B of part 7 of subtitle B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. section 1185 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 726. Prohibition on increased payments for telehealth services furnished by a provider located at a facility (a) In general In the case of a telehealth service furnished to a participant or beneficiary of a group health plan or group health insurance coverage by a health care provider located at a health care facility, the total amount recognized by such plan or coverage as payment for such service (including any facility fee or other amount that may be billed separately by such facility in relation to such provider’s furnishing of such service) may not exceed the total amount that would have been recognized by such plan or coverage as payment for such service had such provider not been located at such a facility. (b) Telehealth service defined For purposes of this section, the term telehealth service means a service furnished by a health care provider via a telecommunications system where such provider is not at the same location as the individual receiving such service. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents in section 1 of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 725 the following new item: Sec. 726. Prohibition on increased payments for telehealth services furnished by a provider located at a facility. . (c) Report Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on what is known about the use of telehealth under group health plans and group or individual health insurance coverage (as such terms are defined in section 2791 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x )). Such report shall include the following: (1) Trends and statistics regarding the use of telehealth for specific types of care, including primary care, mental health care, and specialty care. (2) Trends and statistics regarding the availability, access, and utilization of telehealth services by individuals residing in rural areas and urban areas. (3) Trends and statistics regarding the application of hospital facility fees in the context of telehealth services. (4) Trends and statistics regarding how individuals access telehealth services, including with respect to the devices used and tools offered by such plans and issuers of such coverage to facilitate access to such services and with respect to the utilization of audio-only telehealth services. (5) Trends and statistics with respect to individuals accessing telehealth services provided from physicians or other medical professionals residing in a State other than the State that the individual is located in while receiving such services and with respect to applicable State laws or State-to-State compacts that impact cross-State provision of telehealth services. (6) Trends and statistics regarding payment and reimbursement for telehealth services. (7) Trends and statistics regarding premiums for such plans and coverage offering telehealth services. (d) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.