,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #geic  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #ac1 #bjbj,mr4 
,mc,kinley 7for himself1 ,mr4           
,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,trone1 and ,mr4 ,budd7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on       
,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition  
to the ,committees on ,ways and ,means1 
and the ,judiciary1 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 increase  
the use of telehealth for substance use 
disorder treatment1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,telehealth         
,response for ,e-prescribing ,addiction 
,therapy ,services ,act or ,,treats     
,act4  #b4 ,telehealth for substance use
 disorder treatment  7a7 ,substance use 
disorder services furnished through     

telehealth under ,medicare ,section     
#ahcd7m77#g7 of the ,social ,security   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77#g77 is   
amended by adding at the end the        
following3 ,with respect to telehealth  
services described in the preceding     
sentence that are furnished on or after 
,january #a1 #bjbj1 nothing shall       
preclude the furnishing of such services
 through audio or telephone only        
technologies in the case where a        
physician or practitioner has already   
conducted an in-person medical          
evaluation or a telehealth evaluation   
that utilizes both audio and visual     
capabilities with the eligible          
telehealth individual44  7b7 ,controlled
 substances dispensed by means of the   
internet ,section #cji7;e77#b7 of the   
,controlled ,substances ,act 7#ba       
,u4,s4,c4 #hbi7;e77#b77 is amended--    
7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a77i7-- 7,a7 by  
striking at least #a in-person medical  
evaluation and inserting the following3 
at least-- 7,i7 #a in-person medical    

evaluation  2 and  7,b7 by adding at the
 end the following3  7,,ii7 for purposes
 of prescribing a controlled substance  
in schedule ,,iii or ,,iv1 #a telehealth
 evaluation2 or  2 and  7#b7 by adding  
at the end the following3  7,d7 7i7 ,the
 term telehealth evaluation means a     
medical evaluation that is conducted in 
accordance with applicable ,federal and 
,state laws by a practitioner 7other    
than a pharmacist7 who is at a location 
remote from the patient and is          
communicating with the patient using a  
telecommunications system referred to in
 section #ahcd7m7 of the ,social        
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77
 that includes1 at a minimum1 audio and 
video equipment permitting two-way1     
real-time interactive communication     
between the patient and distant site    
practitioner4  7ii7 ,nothing in clause  
7i7 shall be construed to imply that #a 
telehealth evaluation demonstrates that 
a prescription has been issued for a    
legitimate medical purpose within the   

usual course of professional practice4  
7iii7 ,a practitioner who prescribes the
 drugs or combination of drugs that are 
covered under section #cjc7;g77#b77;,c7 
using the authority under subparagraph  
7,a77i77,,ii7 of this paragraph shall   
adhere to nationally recognized         
evidence-based guidelines for the       
treatment of patients with opioid use   
disorders and a diversion control plan1 
as those terms are defined in section   
#h4b of title #db1 ,code of ,federal    
,regulations1 as in effect on the date  
of enactment of this subparagraph4  4