Emergency COVID Telehealth Response Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6634 To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to ensure the extension of the telehealth waiver authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language- pathologists, and certain other providers. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 28, 2020 Mrs. AXNE 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 juris- diction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to ensure the extension of the telehealth waiver authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language-pa- thologists, and certain other providers. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency COVID 4 Telehealth Response Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:21 May 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6634.IH H6634 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6634 IH SEC. 2. ENSURING EXTENSION OF SECRETARIAL TELE- 1 HEALTH WAIVER AUTHORITY TO PHYSICAL 2 THERAPISTS, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS, 3 SPEECH LANGUAGE-PATHOLOGISTS, AND 4 CERTAIN OTHER PROVIDERS. 5 Subsection (b) of section 1135 of the Social Security 6 Act is amended by adding at the end the following new 7 sentence: 8 ‘‘In exercising authority under paragraph (8) during the 9 period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on the 10 last day of the emergency period described in subsection 11 (g)(1)(B), the Secretary shall provide that a practitioner 12 described in section 1834(m) shall be treated as including 13 a physical therapist, physical therapist assistant working 14 under the supervision of a physical therapist, occupational 15 therapist, occupational therapy assistant working under 16 the supervision of an occupational therapist, speech lan- 17 guage-pathologist, clinical social worker (as defined in sec- 18 tion 1861(hh)(1)), and audiologist.’’. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:21 May 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6634.IH H6634 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS