[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1465 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1465

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to 
         stroke telehealth services under the Medicare program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2015

   Mr. Kirk 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 access to 
         stroke telehealth services under the Medicare program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Furthering Access to Stroke 
Telemedicine Act'' or the ``FAST Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING ACCESS TO STROKE TELEHEALTH SERVICES UNDER THE 
              MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 1834(m)(4)(C) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)(C) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``The term'' and inserting 
        ``Subject to clause (iii), the term''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(iii) Stroke telehealth services.--With 
                        respect to services related to the evaluation 
                        or treatment of an acute stroke that are 
                        provided within the evidence-based window of 
                        treatment, the term `originating site' means 
                        any site at which the eligible telehealth 
                        individual is located at the time the service 
                        is furnished via a telecommunications system, 
                        regardless of where the site is located.''.
    (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 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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