,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gff  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #ca1        
#bjag,ms4 ,velzquez 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 establish 
a pilot program to expand telehealth    
options under the ,medicare program for 
individuals residing in public housing  
located in health professional shortage 
areas1 and for other purposes4  #a4     
,pilot ,program to expand telehealth    
options under the ,medicare program for 
certain individuals  7a7 ,in general    
,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 ,pilot   
program  7,a7 ,in general ,during a     
five-year period that begins not later  
than six months after the date of the   
enactment of this paragraph1 the        
,secretary shall establish and implement
 a pilot program that applies this      
subsection1 with respect to an          
individual described in subparagraph    
7,b71 in the manner in which the        
,secretary would apply such subsection  
if--  7i7 such pilot program were1 for  
purposes of the provision of paragraph  
7#a7 relating to store-and-forward      
technologies1 a ,federal telemedicine   
demonstration program conducted in      
,alaska or ,hawaii2  7ii7 any service   
furnished under the pilot program were1 
for purposes of paragraph 7#d77;,c77i7  
7relating to the furnishing of services 
at rural sites71 furnished at a site    
that is located in an area described in 
subclause 7,i7 of such paragraph or a   
county described in subclause 7,,ii7 of 
such paragraph2  7iii7 paragraph        

7#c77;,a7 required the ,secretary to    
apply the provisions of section         
#ahdh7;g7 and subparagraphs 7,a7 and    
7,b7 of section #ahdb7;b77#ah7 to a     
physician or practitioner receiving     
payment under this subsection in the    
same manner as they apply to physicians1
 suppliers 7including the suppliers     
that1 pursuant to clause 7vi71 are      
included in the definition of           
practitioner for purposes of the pilot  
program71 or practitioners under such   
sections2  7iv7 the term telehealth     
service1 as defined in paragraph        
7#d77;,f77i71 included1 in addition to  
such the service described in such      
paragraph1 any physical1 respiratory1   
occupational1 psychological1 and speech 
therapy for which coverage is provided  
under this title when the individual    
physician or practitioner providing the 
service is at the same location as the  
beneficiary2  7v7 the term distant site1
 as defined in paragraph 7#d77;,a71     
included1 in addition to the sites      

described in such paragraph1 ,federally 
qualified health centers 7as defined in 
section #ahfa7;aa77#d77 and rural health
 clinics 7as defined in section         
#ahfa7;aa77#b772 and  7vi7 the term     
practitioner1 as defined in paragraph   
7#d77;,e71 included1 in addition to the 
individuals described in such paragraph1
 respiratory therapists1 audiologists1  
occupational therapists1 physical       
therapists1 and speech language         
pathologists4  7,b7 ,individuals        
described ,an individual described in   
this subparagraph is an individual who--
 7i7 is enrolled under this part who    
receives a telehealth service2 and  7ii7
 resides in public housing 7as such term
 is defined in section #c7;b7 of the    
,united ,states ,housing ,act of #aicg  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adcg;a7b7774  7,c7      
,issuance of regulations ,not later than
 the date that is six months after the  
date of enactment of this paragraph1 the
 ,secretary shall issue such regulations
 as are necessary to carry out the pilot

 program described in this paragraph4  4