[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2880 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2880

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   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.

    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 ``Expanded Telehealth Access Act''.

SEC. 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.''.
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