[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3651 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3651

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure coverage of 
          mental health services furnished through telehealth.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 24, 2024

    Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Ms. Smith, Mr. Thune, and Mr. Cardin) 
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 ensure coverage of 
          mental health services furnished through telehealth.

    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 ``Telemental Health Care Access Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING COVERAGE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FURNISHED THROUGH 
              TELEHEALTH.

    (a) In General.--Section 1834(m)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(m)(7)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``subject to 
        subparagraph (B),'';
            (2) by striking ``(A) In general.--The geographic'' and 
        inserting ``The geographic''; and
            (3) by striking subparagraph (B).
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of section 123 of division 
CC of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260).

SEC. 3. STUDY AND REPORT ON UTILIZATION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 
              FURNISHED THROUGH TELEHEALTH.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a 
report on the utilization of mental health services furnished through 
telehealth under section 1834(m)(7) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395m(m)(7)), that includes any recommendations of the Secretary 
regarding--
            (1) fraud or abuse prevention with respect to such 
        services; and
            (2) additional funding that the Office of Inspector General 
        of the Department of Health and Human Services may require for 
        purposes of conducting audits, investigations, and other 
        oversight and enforcement activities with respect to the 
        furnishing of such services.
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