,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #abdh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #b1     
#bjbe,mr4 ,mullin 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,padilla1 and ,mr4 ,tillis7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title    
,,xi of the ,social ,security ,act to   
require the ,center for ,medicare and   
,medicaid ,innovation to test a model to
 improve access to specialty health     
services for certain ,medicare and      
,medicaid beneficiaries4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,ensuring ,access to ,specialty ,care   
,everywhere ,act or the ,,ease ,act4    
#b4 ,requiring the ,center for ,medicare
 and ,medicaid ,innovation to test a    
model to improve access to specialty    
health services for certain ,medicare   
and ,medicaid beneficiaries  7a7 ,in    
general ,section #aaae;,a of the ,social
 ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acae;a7 
is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection         

7b77#b7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 in 
the third sentence1 by inserting 1 and  
shall include the model described in    
subparagraph 7,b77xxviii7 before the    
period at the end2 and  7,b7 in         
subparagraph 7,b71 by adding at the end 
the following new clause3  7xxviii7 ,the
 ,specialty ,health ,care ,services     
,access ,model described in subsection  
7h74  2 and  7#b7 by adding at the end  
the following new subsection3  7h7      
,specialty ,health ,care ,services      
,access ,model  7#a7 ,in general ,for   
purposes of subsection                  
7b77#b77;,b77xxviii71 the ,specialty    
,health ,care ,services ,access ,model  
described in this subsection is a model 
under which the ,secretary enters into  
an agreement with one or more provider  
networks selected in accordance with    
paragraph 7#b7 for purposes of          
furnishing specialty health care        
services 7as specified by the           
,secretary7 to eligible individuals     
through the use of digital modalities   

7such as telehealth and other remote    
technologies7 in coordination with such 
individuals' primary care providers4    
7#b7 ,selection of provider networks    
,the ,secretary shall select one or more
 networks of providers for purposes of  
furnishing services under the model     
described in paragraph 7#a74 ,any such  
network so selected shall-- 7,a7 be     
comprised of at least #ej ,federally    
qualified health centers1 rural health  
clinics1 critical access hospitals1 or  
rural emergency hospitals1 at least half
 of which are located in rural areas 7as
 defined by the ,administrator of the   
,health ,resources and ,services        
,administration72  7,b7 be a nonprofit  
entity under section #eja7;c77#c7 of the
 ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf2     
7,c7 have an established record of      
supporting the delivery of health care  
in rural and underserved communities in 
multiple regions throughout the country2
 and  7,d7 have the ability to collect1 
exchange1 and evaluate data for purposes

 of the model described in paragraph    
7#a74  7#c7 ,eligible individual defined
 ,for purposes of this subsection1 the  
term eligible individual means an       
individual-- 7,a7 who-- 7i7 is entitled 
to benefits under part ,a of title      
,,xviii or enrolled under part ,b of    
such title2 or  7ii7 is enrolled under  
the ,medicaid program under title ,,xix 
or the ,children's ,health ,insurance   
,program under title ,,xxi and meets all
 components for eligibility for medical 
assistance1 child health assistance1 or 
pregnancy-related assistance 7as        
applicable71 including those described  
in sections #aijb7;a77#df77;,b7 and     
#aacg7;d72 and  7,b7 who is located in a
 rural or underserved area 7as specified
 by the ,secretary74  4  7b7 ,limitation
 ,any amounts appropriated or allocated 
to carry out the amendments made by this
 section shall be subject to the        
requirements contained in ,public ,law  
#aag-cbh for funds for programs         
authorized under sections #ccj through  

#cdj of the ,public ,health ,service    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b through      
#bef74