,,ii #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #cifg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #ai1 #bjbd,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,mr4 ,sullivan1 ,mr4 ,warnock1 ,mr4 ,marshall1 and ,mr4 ,king7 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 make permanent certain telehealth flexibilities under the ,medicare program4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,telehealth ,modernization ,act4 #b4 ,extending ,medicare telehealth flexibilities 7a7 ,expanding access to telehealth services 7#a7 ,in general ,section #ahcd7m77#d77;,c77iii7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77#d77;,c77iii77 is amended by striking ,in the case that and all that follows through ending on ,december #ca1 #bjbd1 and inserting ,beginning on the date of the enactment of the ,telehealth ,modernization ,act14 7#b7 ,conforming amendments ,section #ahcd7m7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77 is amended-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#b77;,b77iii71 by striking ,in the case that and all that follows through ending ,december #ca1 #bjbd1 and inserting ,with respect to telehealth services furnished on or after the date of the enactment of the ,telehealth ,modernization ,act12 7,b7 in paragraph 7#d77;,c77ii77,x71 by striking 1 but only for purposes of section #ahha7;b77#c77;,b7 or telehealth services described in paragraph 7#g72 7,c7 in paragraph 7#e71 by inserting and prior to the date of the enactment of the ,telehealth ,modernization ,act1 after ,january #a1 #bjai12 7,d7 in paragraph 7#f77;,a71 by inserting and prior to the date of the enactment of the ,telehealth ,modernization ,act1 after ,january #a1 #bjai12 and 7,e7 in paragraph 7#g71 by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,c7 ,sunset ,the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply with respect to services furnished on or after the date of the enactment of this subparagraph4 4 7b7 ,expanding practitioners eligible ,to furnish telehealth services ,section #ahcd7m77#d77;,e7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77#d77;,e77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking practitioner4--,the term and inserting 8practitioner4-- 7,a7 ,in general ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71 the term 2 7#b7 in subparagraph 7,a71 as so inserted1 by striking 1 in the case that the emergency period described in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b7 ends before ,december #ca1 #bjbd1 for the period beginning on the first day after the end of such emergency period and ending on ,december #ca1 #bjbd12 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,b7 ,expansion ,the ,secretary1 after consulting with stakeholders regarding services that are clinically appropriate1 may expand the types of practitioners who may furnish telehealth services to include any health care professional that is eligible to bill the program under this title for their professional services4 4 7c7 ,retention of additional services and subregulatory process for modifications following emergency period ,section #ahcd7m77#d77;,f7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77#d77;,f77 is amended-- 7#a7 in clause 7i71 by inserting and clause 7iii7 after paragraph 7#h72 7#b7 in clause 7ii71 by striking ,the ,secretary and inserting ,subject to clause 7iii71 the ,secretary2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new clause3 7iii7 ,retention of additional services and subregulatory process for modifications following emergency period ,with respect to telehealth services furnished on or after the date of the enactment of this clause1 the ,secretary may-- 7,i7 retain as appropriate the expanded list of telehealth services specified in clause 7i7 pursuant to the waiver authority under section #aace7;b77#h7 during the emergency period described in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b72 and 7,,ii7 retain the subregulatory process used to modify the services included on the list of such telehealth services pursuant to clause 7ii7 during such emergency period4 4 7d7 ,enhancing telehealth services for federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics ,section #ahcd7m77#h7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77#h77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a7-- 7,a7 in the matter preceding clause 7i71 by striking and1 in the case and all that follows through #bjbd-- and inserting and after such period--2 and 7,b7 in clause 7ii71 by inserting or 7,c71 as applicable after subparagraph 7,b72 and 7#b7 in subparagraph 7,b7-- 7,a7 in the header1 by inserting before #bjbe after rule2 and 7,b7 in clause 7i71 by striking during the periods for which subparagraph 7,a7 applies and inserting before ,january #a1 #bjbe2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,c7 ,payment rule for #bjbe and subsequent years 7i7 ,in general ,a telehealth service furnished to an eligible telehealth individual by a ,federally qualified health center or rural health clinic on or after ,january #a1 #bjbe1 shall be deemed to be so furnished to such individual as an outpatient of such center or clinic 7as applicable7 for purposes of paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#c71 respectively1 of section #ahfa7;aa71 and payable as a ,federally qualified health center service or rural health clinic service 7as applicable7 under the prospective payment system established under section #ahcd7o7 or the payment methodology established under section #ahcc7;a77#c71 respectively4 7ii7 ,treatment of costs ,costs associated with the delivery of telehealth services by a ,federally qualified health center or rural health clinic on or after ,january #a1 #bjbe1 shall be considered allowable costs for purposes of the prospective payment system established under section #ahcd7o7 and any payment methodologies developed under section #ahcc7;a77#c71 as applicable4 4 7e7 ,use of telehealth1 as clinically appropriate1 ,to conduct face-to-,face encounter for hospice care ,section #ahad7;a77#g77;,d77i77,,ii7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;f7a77#g77;,d77i77,,ii77 is amended by striking 1 and1 in the case and all that follows through ending on ,december #ca1 #bjbd1 and inserting and after such period1 as clinically appropriate14 7f7 ,use of telehealth1 as clinically appropriate1 ,to conduct face-to-,face clinical assessments for home dialysis ,clause 7iii7 of section #ahha7;b77#c77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acierr7b77#c77;,b77 is amended-- 7#a7 by moving such clause #d ems to the left2 and 7#b7 by inserting and after such emergency period as clinically appropriate before the period4 7g7 ,allowing for the use of audio-,only telecommunications technology ,section #ahcd7m77#i7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77#i77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking the first sentence and inserting the following3 ,the ,secretary shall provide coverage and payment under this part for telehealth services identified in paragraph 7#d77;,f77i7 as of the date of the enactment of this paragraph that are furnished via an audio-only communications system42 and 7#b7 in the second sentence1 by striking during such emergency period and inserting during the emergency period described in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b74 7h7 ,implementation ,notwithstanding any provision of law1 the ,secretary may implement the provisions of1 and amendments made by1 this section by interim final rule1 program instruction1 or otherwise4