,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #caic  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #d1  
#bjba,mr4 ,daines 7for himself1 ,ms4    
,smith1 ,mr4 ,moran1 and ,ms4 ,rosen7   
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend title ,,xviii of the ,social      
,security ,act to expand the scope of   
practitioners eligible for payment for  
telehealth services under the ,medicare 
program1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,expanded ,telehealth ,access ,act4 
#b4 ,expanding the scope of             
practitioners eligible for payment for  
telehealth services under medicare  7a7 
,telehealth provider parity ,section    
#ahcd7m7 of the ,social ,security ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77 is amended--  
7#a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 by        
striking described in section           
#ahdb7;b77#ah77;,c7 and inserting as    
described in paragraph 7#d77;,e772 and  

7,b7 by striking individual physician or
 practitioner and inserting individual  
physician or practitioner described in  
paragraph 7#d77;,e72  7#b7 in paragraph 
7#b7-- 7,a7 by striking practitioner    
each place it appears and inserting     
practitioner as described in paragraph  
7#d77;,e7 each such place2  7,b7 by     
inserting before located at a distant   
site the following 7or1 in the case of  
an occupational therapy assistant       
described in paragraph                  
7#d77;,e77ii77,,ii7 or a physical       
therapist assistant described in        
paragraph 7#d77;,e77ii77,,iii71 shall   
pay with respect to such assistant72 and
  7,c7 by inserting 7or1 in the case of 
an occupational therapy assistant       
described in paragraph                  
7#d77;,e77ii77,,ii7 or a physical       
therapist assistant described in        
paragraph 7#d77;,e77ii77,,iii71 the     
amount that would have been paid under  
this title with respect to such         
assistant7 after would have been paid   

under this title2  7#c7 in paragraph    
7#c7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by    
striking or practitioner and inserting  
or practitioner described in paragraph  
7#d77;,e72 and  7,b7 in subparagraph    
7,b71 by inserting described in         
subparagraph 7,c7 of such section after 
practitioners2 and  7#d7 in paragraph   
7#d7-- 7,a7 in each of subparagraphs    
7,a7 and 7,c71 by inserting described in
 paragraph 7#d77;,e7 after practitioner2
 and  7,b7 by amending subparagraph 7,e7
 to read as follows3  7,e7 ,practitioner
 described ,the term practitioner means 
any of the following3 7i7 ,a            
practitioner described in section       
#ahdb7;b77#ah77;,c74  7ii7 ,with respect
 to services furnished on or after the  
date of enactment of the ,expanded      
,telehealth ,access ,act1 a licensed--  
7,i7 qualified audiologist 7as defined  
in section #ahfa7ll77#d77;,b772  7,,ii7 
occupational therapist and occupational 
therapy assistant under the supervision 
of an occupational therapist2  7,,iii7  

physical therapist and physical         
therapist assistant under the           
supervision of a physical therapist2    
7,,iv7 qualified speech-language        
pathologist 7as defined in section      
#ahfa7ll77#d77;,a772  7,v7 facility     
described in paragraph 7#h7 or 7#i7 of  
section #ahcc7;a7 that furnishes        
telehealth therapy services2 and  7,,vi7
 any additional health care provider1 as
 specified by the ,secretary1 who       
participates under this title and       
furnishes a service that is included as 
a telehealth service under this         
subsection4  4