,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cdhb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bg1 #bjag,mr4 
,johnson of ,ohio 7for himself and ,ms4 
,matsui7 introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition  
to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1  
for a period to be subsequently         
determined by the ,speaker1 in each case
 for consideration of such provisions as
 fall within the jurisdiction of the    
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title ,,xviii of the ,social      
,security ,act to expand the use of     
telehealth under the ,medicare program1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,evidence-,based ,telehealth ,expansion 
,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,expanding the use  
of telehealth through the waiver of     
certain requirements ,section #ahcd7m7  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77 is amended by      
adding at the end the following new     

paragraph3  7#e7 ,authority to waive    
requirements and limitations if certain 
conditions met  7,a7 ,in general ,in the
 case of telehealth services furnished  
on or after ,january #a1 #bjah1 the     
,secretary may waive any restriction    
applicable to the coverage of telehealth
 services under this subsection         
described in subparagraph 7,b7 with     
respect to certain providers of         
services1 suppliers1 provider groups1   
sites of care1 services1 conditions1    
individuals receiving the services1 or  
,states1 as determined by the           
,secretary1 if each of the requirements 
described in subparagraph 7,c7 is met   
with respect to the waiver4  7,b7       
,restrictions described ,for purposes of
 this paragraph1 restrictions applicable
 to the coverage of telehealth services 
under this subsection shall include     
requirements relating to qualifications 
for an originating site under paragraph 
7#d77;,c77ii71 any geographic           
limitations under paragraph 7#d77;,c77i7

 7other than applicable ,state law      
requirements1 including ,state licensure
 requirements71 any limitation on the   
use of store-and-forward technologies   
described in paragraph 7#a71 any        
limitation on the type of health care   
provider who may furnish such services  
7other than the requirement that the    
provider is a ,medicare-enrolled        
provider71 or any limitation on specific
 codes designated as telehealth services
 that are covered under this title      
pursuant to this subsection 7provided   
such codes are clinically appropriate to
 furnish remotely74  7,c7 ,requirements 
for waiver ,the requirements described  
in this subparagraph are1 with respect  
to the waiver of a restriction described
 in subparagraph 7,b71 the following3   
7i7 ,the ,secretary determines that the 
waiver is expected to-- 7,i7 reduce     
spending under this title without       
reducing the quality of care2 or  7,,ii7
 improve the quality of patient care    
without increasing spending4  7ii7 ,the 

,chief ,actuary of the ,centers for     
,medicare  ,medicaid ,services certifies
 that such waiver would reduce 7or would
 not result in any increase in7 net     
program spending under this title4      
7iii7 ,the ,secretary determines that   
such waiver would not deny or limit the 
coverage or provision of benefits under 
this title for individuals4  7,d7       
,public comment ,the ,secretary shall   
establish a process by which            
stakeholders may 7on at least an annual 
basis7 submit requests for a waiver     
under this paragraph4  4