,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhed  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #bc   
7legislative day1 ,october #ai71        
#bjbj,ms4 ,collins 7for herself and ,mr4
 ,cardin7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill   
,to provide payments for home health    
services furnished via visual or audio  
telecommunication systems during an     
emergency period4  #a4 ,short title     
,this ,act may be cited as the ,home    
,health ,emergency ,access to           
,telehealth ,act or the ,,heat ,act4    
#b4 ,authorization of payments for home 
health services furnished via visual or 
audio telecommunication systems during  
an emergency period  7a7 ,waiver        
authority  7#a7 ,in general ,the first  
sentence of section #aace7;b7 of the    
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acbj;b-#e7;b77 is amended-- 7,a7 in    
paragraph 7#g71 by striking and at the  
end2  7,b7 in paragraph 7#h71 by        

striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 and2 and  7,c7 by adding the
 following new paragraph3  7#i7 in the  
case of home health services furnished  
in an emergency area 7or portion of such
 an area7 during any portion of any     
emergency period 7as those terms are    
defined in subsection 7g77#a77;,c771 the
 provisions of subparagraphs 7,a7 and   
7,b7 of section #ahie7;e77#a71 as       
determined appropriate by the           
,secretary4  4  7#b7 ,definitions of    
emergency area2 emergency period        
,section #aace7;g77#a7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acbj;b-#e7;g77#a77 is amended-- 7,a7 in
 subparagraph 7,a71 by striking         
subparagraph 7,b7 and inserting         
subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c72 and  7,b7  
by adding at the end the following new  
subparagraph3  7,c7 ,additional         
exception ,for purposes of subsection   
7b77#i71 an emergency area is a         
geographical area in which1 and an      
emergency period is the period during   

which1 there exists a public health     
emergency declared by the ,secretary    
pursuant to section #cai of the ,public 
,health ,service ,act4  4  7b7          
,authorization ,section #ahie7;e7 of the
 ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#acie;fff7e77 is amended-- 7#a7 in      
paragraph 7#a71 by striking ,nothing and
 inserting ,subject to paragraph 7#b71  
nothing2  7#b7 by redesignating         
paragraph 7#b7 as paragraph 7#c72 and   
7#c7 by inserting after paragraph 7#a7  
the following new paragraph3  7#b7      
,exception for public health emergencies
 ,nothing in this section shall be      
construed as preventing a home health   
agency furnishing a home health unit of 
service for which payment is made under 
the prospective payment system          
established by this section for such    
units of service from furnishing        
services via a video or audio           
telecommunication system if such        
services-- 7,a7 are furnished pursuant  
to a waiver under section #aace7;b77#i72

  7,b7 constitute no more than #ej      
percent of the number of billable       
visits1 consistent with the in-person   
visit equivalency determination1 billed 
under the #cj-;day period of care       
established under section #dhd4bae7;f7  
of title #db1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations2  7,c7 are furnished to a  
beneficiary under a plan of care        
established by a physician or           
practitioner with whom the beneficiary  
has an existing care relationship prior 
to the receipt of home health services  
that includes home health services to be
 furnished via a video or audio         
telecommunication system2 and  7,d7 such
 beneficiary consents to receiving home 
health services via a video or audio    
telecommunication system4  4  7c7       
,implementation  7#a7 ,in general ,the  
,secretary shall prescribe regulations  
to apply to home health services        
furnished pursuant to the amendments    
made by this ,act1 which shall become   
effective no later than #fj days after  

the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,the
 ,secretary shall issue an interim final
 rule1 if necessary1 to comply with the 
required effective date4  7#b7          
,considerations ,in prescribing such    
regulations1 the ,secretary may consider
 including-- 7,a7 standards for the     
content of orders and patient consent   
for such services2  7,b7 documentation  
of such services provided and billing   
units of such services2  7,c7 the nature
 and level of resources utilized for    
such services provided via video or     
audio telecommunication systems for     
purposes of determining equivalency with
 in-person visits in establishing the   
payment for such services2 and  7,d7    
standards to ensure program integrity   
and prevent the incidence of fraud1     
waste1 and abuse with respect to such   
services4