,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #chcd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #aa1 
#bjbf,mr4 ,daines 7for himself and ,ms4 
,smith7 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     
,section #ahcd7m7 of the ,social        
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7m77
 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph         
7#b77;,a7-- 7,a7 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 shall   
pay with respect to such assistant7     
before located at a distant site2 and   
7,b7 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#b7 in paragraph    
7#c77;,b71 by striking under such       
section and inserting described in      
subparagraph 7,c7 of such section2 and  
7#c7 in paragraph 7#d71 by striking     
subparagraph 7,e7 and inserting the     
following3  7,e7 ,practitioner ,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 the enactment of   
the ,expanded ,telehealth ,access ,act--

 7,i7 a qualified audiologist 7as       
defined in section #ahfa7ll77#d77;,b772 
7,,ii7 a qualified occupational         
therapist and an occupational therapy   
assistant under the supervision of a    
qualified occupational therapist2       
7,,iii7 a qualified physical therapist  
and a physical therapist assistant under
 the supervision of a qualified physical
 therapist2  7,,iv7 a qualified         
speech-language pathologist 7as defined 
in section #ahfa7ll77#d77;,a772  7,v7 a 
facility that furnishes services        
described in paragraph 7#h7 or 7#i7 of  
section #ahcc7;a7 through telehealth2   
and  7,,vi7 any additional provider of  
services or supplier1 as specified by   
the ,secretary1 who is enrolled under   
section #ahff7;j7 and furnishes a       
telehealth service4  4