117th CONGRESS 1st Session |
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.
March 23, 2021
Ms. Sherrill (for herself, Mr. McKinley, Mr. Morelle, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Sires, Ms. Tenney, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Mr. Rush, Mr. Young, Ms. Barragán, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Carson, and Mr. O'Halleran) 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
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Expanded Telehealth Access Act”.
SEC. 2. Expanding the scope of practitioners eligible for payment for telehealth services under medicare.
(a) Telehealth provider parity.—Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)) is amended—
(A) by striking “described in section 1842(b)(18)(C)” and inserting “as described in paragraph (4)(E))”; and
(B) by striking “individual physician or practitioner” and inserting “individual physician or practitioner described in paragraph (4)(E)”;
(A) by striking “practitioner” each place it appears and inserting “practitioner as described in paragraph (4)(E)” each such place;
(B) by inserting before “located at a distant site” the following “(or, in the case of an occupational therapy assistant described in paragraph (4)(E)(ii)(II) or a physical therapist assistant described in paragraph (4)(E)(ii)(III), shall pay with respect to such assistant)”; and
(C) by inserting “(or, in the case of an occupational therapy assistant described in paragraph (4)(E)(ii)(II) or a physical therapist assistant described in paragraph (4)(E)(ii)(III), the amount that would have been paid under this title with respect to such assistant)” after “would have been paid under this title”;
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “or practitioner” and inserting “or practitioner described in paragraph (4)(E)”; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting “described in subparagraph (C) of such section” after “practitioners”; and
(A) in each of subparagraphs (A) and (C), by inserting “described in paragraph (4)(E)” after “practitioner”; and
(B) by amending subparagraph (E) to read as follows:
“(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 services furnished on or after the date of enactment of the Expanded Telehealth Access Act, a licensed—
“(I) qualified audiologist (as defined in section 1861(ll)(4)(B);
“(II) occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant under the supervision of an occupational therapist;
“(III) physical therapist and physical therapist assistant under the supervision of a physical therapist;
“(IV) qualified speech-language pathologist (as defined in section 1861(ll)(4)(A));
“(V) facility described in paragraph (8) or (9) of section 1833(a) that furnishes telehealth therapy services; and
“(VI) any additional health care provider, as specified by the Secretary, who participates under this title and furnishes a service that is included as a telehealth service under this subsection.”.