,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hdgf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #a1         
#bjbj,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester 7for herself
 and ,mr4 ,burgess7 introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
,a ,,bill  ,to provide for strategies to
 increase access to telehealth under the
 ,medicaid program and ,children's      
,health ,insurance ,program1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,telehealth    
,improvement for ,kids' ,essential      
,services ,act or the ,,tikes ,act4  #b4
 ,strategies to increase access to      
telehealth under ,medicaid and          
,children's ,health ,insurance ,program 
7a7 ,guidance ,not later than #a year   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and     
,human ,services shall issue and        
disseminate guidance to ,states to      
clarify strategies to overcome existing 
barriers and increase access to         

telehealth under the ,medicaid program  
under title ,,xix of the ,social        
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et  
seq47 and the ,children's ,health       
,insurance ,program under title ,,xxi of
 such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acig;aa et   
seq474 ,such guidance shall include     
technical assistance and best practices 
regarding-- 7#a7 telehealth delivery of 
covered services2  7#b7 recommended     
voluntary billing codes1 modifiers1 and 
place-of-service designations for       
telehealth and other virtual health care
 services2  7#c7 the simplification or  
alignment 7including through            
reciprocity7 of provider licensing1     
credentialing1 and enrollment protocols 
with respect to telehealth across       
,states1 ,state ,medicaid plans under   
such title ,,xix1 and ,medicaid managed 
care organizations1 including during    
national public health emergencies2     
7#d7 existing strategies ,states can use
 to integrate telehealth and other      
virtual health care services into       

value-based health care models2 and     
7#e7 examples of ,states that have used 
waivers under the ,medicaid program to  
test expanded access to telehealth1     
including during 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  7b7
 ,studies  7#a7 ,telehealth impact on   
health care access ,not later than #a   
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,medicaid and ,,chip     
,payment and ,access ,commission shall  
conduct a study1 with respect to a      
minimum of #aj ,states across geographic
 regions of the ,united ,states1 and    
submit to ,congress a report1 on the    
impact of telehealth on health care     
access1 utilization1 cost1 and outcomes1
 broken down by race1 ethnicity1 sex1   
age1 disability status1 and zip code4   
,such report shall-- 7,a7 evaluate cost1
 access1 utilization1 outcomes1 and     
patient experience data from across the 
health care field1 including ,states1   

,medicaid managed care organizations1   
provider organizations1 and other       
organizations that provide or pay for   
telehealth under the ,medicaid program  
and ,children's ,health ,insurance      
,program2  7,b7 identify barriers and   
potential solutions to provider entry   
and participation in telehealth that    
,states are experiencing1 as well as    
barriers to providing telehealth across 
,state lines1 including during times of 
public health crisis or public health   
emergency2  7,c7 determine the frequency
 at which out-of-,state telehealth is   
provided to patients enrolled in the    
,medicaid program and the potential     
impact on access to telehealth if ,state
 ,medicaid policies were more aligned2  
and  7,d7 identify and evaluate         
opportunities for more alignment among  
such policies to promote access to      
telehealth across all ,states1 ,state   
,medicaid plans under title ,,xix of the
 ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#acif et seq471 ,state child health     

plans under title ,,xxi of such ,act    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acig;aa et seq471 and   
,medicaid managed care organizations1   
including the potential for regional    
compacts or reciprocity agreements4     
7#b7 ,federal agency telehealth         
collaboration ,not later than #a year   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the  
,united ,states shall conduct a study   
and submit to ,congress a report        
evaluating collaboration between        
,federal agencies with respect to       
telehealth services furnished under the 
,medicaid or ,,chip program to          
individuals under the age of #ah1       
including such services furnished to    
such individuals in early care and      
education settings4 ,such report shall  
include recommendations on-- 7,a7       
opportunities for ,federal agencies to  
improve collaboration with respect to   
such telehealth services2 and  7,b7     
opportunities for collaboration between 
,federal agencies to expand telehealth  

access to such individuals enrolled     
under the ,medicaid or ,,chip program1  
including in early care and education   
settings4