S. 773 · 116th Congress
Telehealth Innovation and Improvement Act of 2019
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 116th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
R
GardnerSponsor1 cosponsor · 1 D
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill establishes (1) a telehealth service model, and (2) Medicare payment rules with respect to certain services tested under the model.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Mar 13, 2019
Telehealth Innovation and Improvement Act of 2019
This bill establishes (1) a telehealth service model, and (2) Medicare payment rules with respect to certain services tested under the model.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shall test Medicare coverage of expanded telehealth services, as defined by the bill, in conjunction with existing models that test the use of accountable care organizations, bundled payments, and other coordinated care models under Medicare. The CMS must (1) establish a methodology for determining the amounts of payment for such services, and (2) provide for evaluations of the service model by an independent entity.
The CMS shall expand the application of a service tested under the model if (1) the required evaluation demonstrates that the service either reduced Medicare spending without reducing the quality of care or improved the quality of care without increasing spending, and (2) the Chief Actuary of the CMS certifies that such expansion would reduce net program spending. A service that meets these requirements is defined by the bill as a certified enhanced telehealth service.
Medicare payment for a certified enhanced telehealth service shall equal 80% of the lesser of (1) the actual charge for the service, or (2) the amount determined using the payment methodology established under the test model.
The CMS shall pay for such services without regard to a Medicare beneficiary's location or area of residence.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Telehealth Innovation and Improvement Act of 2019
Latest action (Mar 13, 2019): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Policy area: Health · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Mar 13, 2019
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.