115th CONGRESS 1st Session |
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth-eligible stroke services under the Medicare program.
February 16, 2017
Mr. Griffith (for himself, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Collins of New York, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Babin, Mr. Turner, and Mr. Johnson of Ohio) 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 access to telehealth-eligible stroke services under the Medicare program.
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 “Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act of 2017” or the “FAST Act of 2017”.
SEC. 2. Expanding access to telehealth-eligible stroke services under the Medicare program.
(a) In general.—Section 1834(m)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)) is amended—
(A) in clause (i), by striking “The term” and inserting “Subject to clause (iii), the term”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new clause:
“(iii) TELEHEALTH-ELIGIBLE STROKE SERVICES.—With respect to telehealth-eligible stroke services, the term ‘originating site’ means any hospital, or any mobile unit equipped with the ability to evaluate possible stroke patients while being transported to a hospital, at which the eligible telehealth individual is located at the time the service is furnished via a telecommunications system, regardless of where the hospital or mobile unit is located.”;
(2) in subparagraph (F)(i) by inserting “telehealth-eligible stroke services,” after “Secretary)),”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(G) TELEHEALTH-ELIGIBLE STROKE SERVICES.—The term ‘telehealth-eligible stroke services’ means services that are—
“(i) related to the diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of symptoms in an individual of an acute stroke; and
“(ii) provided to such individual not later than four and a half hours (or such other clinically appropriate amount of time as is determined by the Secretary) after the onset of such symptoms with respect to such individual.”.
(b) No originating site facility fee for new sites.—Section 1834(m)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(2)(B)) is amended, in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting “(other than an originating site that is only described in clause (iii) of paragraph (4)(C), and does not meet the requirement for an originating site under clause (i) of such paragraph)” after “the originating site”.
(c) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to services furnished on or after the date that is 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.