[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2639 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2639
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make permanent
certain telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program for
telehealth services furnished by Indian health programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 3, 2025
Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself, Ms. Stansbury, Mr. Ruiz, Mr.
Obernolte, and Ms. Norton) 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 make permanent
certain telehealth flexibilities under the Medicare program for
telehealth services furnished by Indian health programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Telehealth Access for Tribal
Communities Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. MAKING PERMANENT CERTAIN TELEHEALTH FLEXIBILITIES UNDER THE
MEDICARE PROGRAM FOR TELEHEALTH SERVICES FURNISHED BY
INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAMS.
Section 1834(m) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (4)(C)(iii)--
(A) by striking ``In the case'' and inserting the
following:
``(I) In general.--In the case'';
and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
subclause:
``(II) Special rule for services
furnished by indian health programs.--
With respect to telehealth services
identified in subparagraph (F)(i) as of
the date of the enactment of this
clause furnished on or after April 1,
2025, by an Indian health program (as
defined in section 4 of the Indian
Health Care Improvement Act) or by an
urban Indian organization (as so
defined), or by a physician or
practitioner employed by or under
contract with such a program or
organization, to an eligible telehealth
individual, the term `originating site'
means any site in the United States at
which the eligible telehealth
individual is located at the time the
service is furnished via a
telecommunications system, including
the home of an individual.''; and
(2) in paragraph (9)--
(A) by striking ``In the case'' and inserting the
following:
``(A) In general.--In the case''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
``(B) Special rule for services furnished by indian
health programs.--The Secretary shall provide coverage
and payment under this part for telehealth services
identified in subparagraph (F)(i) as of the date of the
enactment of this paragraph that are furnished on or
after April 1, 2025, via an audio-only communications
system by an Indian health program (as defined in
section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act) or
by an urban Indian organization (as so defined), or by
a physician or practitioner employed by or under
contract with such a program or organization, to an
eligible telehealth individual. For purposes of the
previous sentence, the term `telehealth service' means
a telehealth service identified as of the date of the
enactment of this paragraph by a HCPCS code (and any
succeeding codes) for which the Secretary has not
applied the requirements of paragraph (1) and the first
sentence of section 410.78(a)(3) of title 42, Code of
Federal Regulations, during the emergency period
described in subparagraph (A).''.
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