,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #djci  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #g1     
#bjbb,mr4 ,thune 7for himself1 ,mr4     
,brown1 and ,mr4 ,cardin7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was read twice   
and referred to the ,committee on       
,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the    
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services to provide guidance to ,states
 regarding ,federal reimbursement for   
furnishing behavioral health services   
and treatment under ,medicaid and the   
,children's ,health ,insurance ,program 
using telehealth services1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,medicaid ,ensuring 
,necessary ,telehealth is ,available    
,long-term ,health for ,kids and        
,underserved ,act or the ,,mental       
,health for ,kids and ,underserved ,act4
  #b4 ,guidance to ,states on furnishing
 behavioral health services via         
telehealth under ,medicaid and ,,chip   
,not later than #a year after the date  

of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services1 acting through the           
,administrator of the ,centers for      
,medicare  ,medicaid ,services1 shall   
issue guidance to ,states on the        
following3 7#a7 ,state options for      
,federal reimbursement of expenditures  
under ,medicaid and the ,children's     
,health ,insurance ,program for         
furnishing clinically appropriate       
services and treatment for behavioral   
health needs1 including assessment1     
counseling1 and medication management1  
using telehealth services4 ,such options
 shall include1 to the extent           
appropriate1 options for ,states to     
receive ,federal reimbursement for such 
expenditures without the need for       
approval of a ,state plan amendment or  
waiver4 ,such guidance shall also       
include guidance on furnishing services 
and treatments that address the needs of
 high-risk individuals1 including racial
 and ethnic minorities1 such as         

,american ,indians and ,alaska ,natives4
  7#b7 ,state options for ,federal      
reimbursement of expenditures under     
,medicaid and the ,children's ,health   
,insurance ,program for furnishing      
clinically appropriate behavioral health
 services and treatment to school-aged  
youth and teens enrolled in ,medicaid or
 the ,children's ,health ,insurance     
,program using telehealth services4     
,such options shall include1 to the     
extent appropriate1 options for ,states 
to receive ,federal reimbursement for   
such expenditures without the need for  
approval of a ,state plan amendment or  
waiver4  7#c7 ,best practices for       
integrating clinically appropriate      
behavioral health provided via          
telehealth services covered by a ,state 
plan for medical assistance under title 
,,xix of the ,social ,security ,act 7or 
a waiver of such a plan7 or a ,state    
plan for child health assistance under  
title ,,xxi of such ,act 7or a waiver of
 such a plan7 into school-based         

settings1 including full-service        
community schools4 ,such best practices 
shall include resources and information 
specifically for educators and other    
school-based staff on how to recognize  
signs of distress in high-risk students 
and make appropriate referrals for      
school-based behavioral health services4
  7#d7 ,best practices for evaluating   
how utilizing clinically appropriate    
telehealth services for behavioral      
health services and treatment affects   
outcomes1 as well as costs4  7#e7 ,best 
practices for monitoring fraud1 waste1  
and abuse that may occur during         
behavioral health services furnished    
through telehealth services covered     
under ,medicaid and the ,children's     
,health ,insurance ,program4  #c4       
,report to ,congress on behavioral      
health services under ,medicaid and     
,,chip ,not later than #a year after the
 date of enactment of this ,act1 the    
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services shall submit to the ,committee

 on ,finance of the ,senate and the     
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives a report 
on the impact of telehealth on access1  
cost1 and quality of behavioral health  
services offered to beneficiaries under 
the ,medicaid program and the           
,children's ,health ,insurance ,program1
 including specific information on the  
impact of telehealth on access to and   
the quality of behavioral health        
services in schools4