To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services under the Medicare program.
This bill would broaden the pool of health professionals who can furnish telehealth services under Medicare by amending title XVIII of the Social Security Act. Specifically, it makes a targeted drafting change to the telehealth provision (section 1834(m)(4)(E)) to ensure that the list of eligible practitioners “includes” additional provider types. The intent is to expand access to telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries without altering payment rates or other coverage rules outside of who may furnish telehealth. The effect depends on the specific practitioner categories added by the final enacted text and how CMS implements the change. The bill was introduced in the House in February 2025 by Rep. Kelly (PA), with Reps. Thompson (CA) and Smith (NE) as co-sponsors, and has been referred to the House committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means.
Key Points
- 1The bill amends 1834(m)(4)(E) of the Social Security Act to expand the set of practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services under Medicare.
- 2The statutory change is a drafting adjustment: it shifts the phrasing to read “and includes” instead of the prior phrasing, thereby formally broadening the list of eligible practitioner types.
- 3There are no new payment rules, coverage provisions, or explicit funding in the text provided; the impact centers on eligibility to provide telehealth services.
- 4The bill is a narrowly targeted, procedural change intended to increase access to telehealth by allowing more providers to bill Medicare for telehealth visits.
- 5It has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means.