,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fgib  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #h1 #bjbj ,mr4  
,smith of ,nebraska 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,o',halleran7 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 simplify  
payments for telehealth services        
furnished by ,federally qualified health
 centers or rural health clinics under  
the ,medicare program1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,improving          
,telehealth for ,underserved            
,communities ,act of #bjbj4  #b4        
,simplifying payments for telehealth    
services furnished by ,federally        

qualified health centers or rural health
 clinics  7a7 ,in general ,section      
#ahcd7m77#h77;,b7 of the ,social        
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciem7m77#h77;,b77 is amended to read  
as follows3  7,b7 ,payment ,the         
,secretary shall pay to a ,federally    
qualified health center or rural health 
clinic serving as a distant site that   
furnishes a telehealth service to an    
eligible telehealth individual an amount
 equal to the amount that such          
,federally qualified health center or   
rural health clinic would have been paid
 under the payment methodology described
 in section #ahcd7o7 or section         
#ahcc7;a77#c71 respectively1 had such   
service been furnished without the use  
of a telecommunications system4 ,costs  
associated with the delivery of such    
services by a ,federally qualified      
health center or rural health clinic    
serving as a distant site pursuant to   
this paragraph shall be considered      
allowable costs for purposes of the     

payment methodologies described in the  
previous sentence4  4  7b7 ,effective   
date ,the amendment made by subsection  
7a7 shall apply with respect to payments
 for telehealth services furnished on or
 after the first day of the emergency   
period described in section             
#aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acbj;b-#e7;g77#a77;,b774  #c4          
,increasing limits on payment for rural 
health clinic services ,section         
#ahcc7;f7 of the ,social ,security ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciel7f77 is amended--  
7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking 1   
and and inserting a semicolon2  7#b7 in 
paragraph 7#b7-- 7,a7 by inserting      
7before #bjbj7 after subsequent year2   
and  7,b7 by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon2 and  7#c7
 by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs3  7#c7 in #bjbj1 at #ib4jc   
per visit2 and  7#d7 in a subsequent    
year1 at the limit established under    
this subsection for the previous year   

increased by the percentage increase in 
the ,,mei 7as so defined7 applicable to 
primary care services 7as so defined7   
furnished as of the first day of that   
year4  4