[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3834 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3834

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

                           February 11, 2026

 Mr. Daines (for himself and Ms. Smith) 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)--
                    (A) 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), shall pay with 
                respect to such assistant)'' before ``located at a 
                distant site''; and
                    (B) 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'';
            (2) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ``under such section'' 
        and inserting ``described in subparagraph (C) of such 
        section''; and
            (3) in paragraph (4), by striking subparagraph (E) and 
        inserting the following:
                    ``(E) Practitioner.--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 the enactment of the 
                        Expanded Telehealth Access Act--
                                    ``(I) a qualified audiologist (as 
                                defined in section 1861(ll)(4)(B));
                                    ``(II) a qualified occupational 
                                therapist and an occupational therapy 
                                assistant under the supervision of a 
                                qualified occupational therapist;
                                    ``(III) a qualified physical 
                                therapist and a physical therapist 
                                assistant under the supervision of a 
                                qualified physical therapist;
                                    ``(IV) a qualified speech-language 
                                pathologist (as defined in section 
                                1861(ll)(4)(A));
                                    ``(V) a facility that furnishes 
                                services described in paragraph (8) or 
                                (9) of section 1833(a) through 
                                telehealth; and
                                    ``(VI) any additional provider of 
                                services or supplier, as specified by 
                                the Secretary, who is enrolled under 
                                section 1866(j) and furnishes a 
                                telehealth service.''.
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