,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ijce  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ah1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,smith of ,missouri 7for      
himself and ,mr4 ,crdenas7 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 accessibility  
to certain telehealth services under the
 ,medicare program4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,permanency for ,audio-,only ,telehealth
 ,act4  #b4 ,expanding accessibility to 
certain telehealth services under the   
,medicare program  7a7 ,use of          
audio-,only telecommunications systems  
for certain services ,section           

#ahcd7m77#d7 of the ,social ,security   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77#d77 is   
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subparagraph3  7,g7       
,telecommunications system  7i7 ,in     
general ,the term telecommunications    
system includes1 in the case of the     
furnishing of a specified telehealth    
service 7as defined in clause 7ii771 a  
communications system consisting only of
 audio capabilities4  7ii7 ,specified   
telehealth service ,for purposes of     
clause 7i71 the term specified          
telehealth service means a telehealth   
service consisting of-- 7,i7 evaluation 
and management services2  7,,ii7 mental 
and behavioral health services2  7,,iii7
 substance use disorder services2 or    
7,,iv7 any other service specified by   
the ,secretary4  4  7b7 ,removing       
geographic restrictions and expanding   
the use of the home as an originating   
site for certain telehealth services    
,section #ahcd7m77#g7 of the ,social    
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           

#aciem7m77#g77 is amended-- 7#a7 in the 
header1 by striking substance use       
disorder and inserting certain2  7#b7 by
 striking with respect to telehealth    
services and inserting the following3   
with respect to-- 7,a7 telehealth       
services  2  7#c7 by striking the period
 at the end and inserting 2 or2 and     
7#d7 by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph3  7,b7 telehealth      
services consisting of evaluation and   
management services or mental and       
behavioral health services furnished on 
or after the date of the enactment of   
this subparagraph to an eligible        
telehealth individual at an originating 
site described in paragraph             
7#d77;,c77ii77,x74  4