[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 248 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 248
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permanently extend
certain in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation flexibilities
established in response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 24, 2025
Mrs. Blackburn (for herself and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permanently extend
certain in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation flexibilities
established in response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.
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 ``Sustainable Cardiopulmonary
Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act''.
SEC. 2. CODIFYING VIRTUAL CARDIOPULMONARY REHABILITATION FLEXIBILITIES
ESTABLISHED IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19.
(a) In General.--Section 1861(eee)(2) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1395x(eee)(2)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting ``, including in
the home of an individual when furnished as a telehealth
service through audio-visual real-time communications
technology, or when such home is designated as a provider-based
location of a hospital outpatient department'' after
``outpatient basis''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, including through
the virtual presence of such physician, physician assistant,
nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist, through
audio-visual real-time communications technology'' after
``under the program''.
(b) Expanding Originating Sites.--Section 1834(m) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and (9)'' and all that
follows through ``(as defined in paragraph (4)(E))'' and
inserting ``, (9), and (10), the Secretary shall pay for
telehealth services that are furnished via a telecommunications
system by a physician (as defined in section 1861(r)) or a
practitioner (as defined in paragraph (4)(E)), or by a hospital
(as defined in section 1861(e))'';
(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``or practitioner''
each place that it appears and inserting ``, practitioner, or
hospital'';
(3) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``or practitioner''
and inserting ``, practitioner, or hospital'';
(4) in paragraph (4)(C)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``and (7)'' and
inserting ``(7), and (10)''; and
(B) in clause (ii)(X), by striking ``paragraph
(7)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (7) and (10)'';
(5) in paragraph (4)(F)(i), by striking ``paragraph (8)''
and inserting ``paragraphs (8) and (10)''; and
(6) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(10) Treatment of cardiac rehabilitation program,
intensive cardiac rehabilitation program, and pulmonary
rehabilitation program visits furnished through telehealth.--In
the case of items and services furnished on or after January 1,
2026, the geographic requirements described in paragraph
(4)(C)(i) shall not apply with respect to telehealth services
for cardiac rehabilitation programs and intensive cardiac
rehabilitation programs (as such terms are defined in section
1861(eee)) and pulmonary rehabilitation programs (as defined in
section 1861(fff)) at an originating site described in
subclause (V) or (X) of paragraph (4)(C)(ii).''.
(c) Authority To Establish Standards and Allow for Certain Programs
To Utilize Telehealth Services.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall--
(A) establish standards for the designation of the
home of an individual with status as a provider-based
organization of a hospital consistent with waivers
issued through the Hospital Without Walls program for
cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, and
intensive cardiac rehabilitation; and
(B) include items and services furnished under a
cardiac rehabilitation program or under an intensive
cardiac rehabilitation program (as such terms are
defined in section 1861(eee) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1395x(eee)), or under a pulmonary
rehabilitation program (as defined in section 1861(fff)
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(fff)) among telehealth
services to be specified under section 1834(m)(4)(F) of
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(m)(4)(F)).
(2) Effective date.--The standards established under
paragraph (1) shall apply to items and services furnished on or
after January 1, 2026.
(d) Implementation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of the
law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may implement the
provisions of, and the amendments made by, this section by program
instruction or otherwise.
(e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b)
shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1,
2026.
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