Bill Details
Status
Latest action
2025-03-05 - Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced Date
2025-03-05
Policy Area
Health
Committees
View committees (2)
Sponsors
Cosponsors
8
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would make it easier for people on Medicare to get mental health care through telehealth, meaning by video or phone. It would remove rules that require some in-person visits before or alongside telehealth mental health care. The goal is to let patients keep seeing mental health providers from home or another convenient place, instead of having to travel to a clinic or doctor’s office first. It also updates Medicare rules for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers so they can continue offering these telehealth mental health visits without an added deadline.
- It would remove the current in-person visit requirement for Medicare mental health services delivered through telehealth and similar technology.
- It would allow telehealth care for diagnosing, evaluating, and treating mental health disorders without the geographic limits that usually apply in Medicare.
- It would also update Medicare rules for rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers by removing the “prior to April 1, 2025” cutoff.
- The bill also supports telehealth treatment for substance use disorders and related mental health conditions.
Official Summaries
This bill permanently removes in-person evaluation requirements for mental health telehealth services under Medicare.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1867 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1867
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person
requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished
through telehealth and telecommunications technology.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 5, 2025
Mr. Hern of Oklahoma (for himself, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Lee
of Nevada, and Ms. Malliotakis) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition
to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to remove in-person
requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished
through telehealth and telecommunications technology.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REMOVING THE IN-PERSON REQUIREMENTS UNDER MEDICARE FOR
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FURNISHED THROUGH TELEHEALTH AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY.
(a) In General.--Section 1834(m)(7) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395m(m)(7)) is amended to read as follows:
``(7) Treatment of substance use disorder services and
mental health services furnished through telehealth.--The
geographic requirements described in paragraph (4)(C)(i) shall
not apply with respect to telehealth services furnished on or
after July 1, 2020, to an eligible telehealth individual with a
substance use disorder diagnosis for purposes of treatment of
such disorder or co-occurring mental health disorder, as
determined by the Secretary, or, on or after the first day
after the end of the emergency period described in section
1135(g)(1)(B), to an eligible telehealth individual for
purposes of diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a mental
health disorder, as determined by the Secretary, at an
originating site described in paragraph (4)(C)(ii) (other than
an originating site described in subclause (IX) of such
paragraph) or, for the period for which clause (iii) of
paragraph (4)(C) applies, at any site described in such
clause.''.
(b) Mental Health Visits Furnished by Rural Health Clinics.--
Section 1834(y)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(y)(2))
is amended by striking ``prior to April 1, 2025''.
(c) Mental Health Visits Furnished by Federally Qualified Health
Centers.--Section 1834(o)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395m(o)(4)(B)) is amended by striking ``prior to April 1, 2025''.
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