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.
Summary
What This Bill Does
H.R.1867 amends Medicare telehealth rules for mental health and substance use disorder services. It preserves the rule that geographic originating-site restrictions do not apply to telehealth services for eligible Medicare beneficiaries with substance use disorder diagnoses, and it removes the extra in-person visit requirement for mental health diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment furnished through telehealth after the public health emergency. It also strikes April 1, 2025 sunset language in related Medicare provisions governing telecommunications technology and telehealth, making access less dependent on a temporary extension date.
Who Benefits and How
Medicare beneficiaries needing mental health care benefit because telehealth access no longer depends on periodic in-person visit requirements. Patients with substance use disorder benefit from continued geographic flexibility for telehealth treatment of substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. Rural Medicare beneficiaries benefit because remote mental health care remains easier to access without travel to an originating site. Behavioral health providers benefit from fewer Medicare scheduling barriers for telehealth patients.
Who Bears the Burden and How
CMS must update Medicare telehealth guidance, claims processing, and provider instructions. Medicare Administrative Contractors must process claims under the revised in-person and sunset rules. Federal taxpayers may bear higher Medicare utilization costs if telehealth use increases. Fraud oversight staff must monitor remote mental health billing without relying on in-person visit checkpoints.
Key Provisions
- Removes Medicare in-person requirements for covered mental health telehealth services.
- Preserves geographic flexibility for substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health telehealth.
- Strikes April 1, 2025 sunset language from related Medicare telehealth provisions.
- Requires Medicare administrators to update coverage and payment operations.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Removes Medicare's in-person visit timing limits for mental health telehealth and extends audio-only telecommunications treatment by striking the April 1, 2025 cutoffs for related Medicare telehealth provisions.
Key Policy Areas
Medicare, Telehealth, Mental Health
Primary Purpose
Removes Medicare's in-person visit timing limits for mental health telehealth and extends audio-only telecommunications treatment by striking the April 1, 2025 cutoffs for related Medicare telehealth provisions.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Medicare beneficiaries needing mental health care
- Patients with substance use disorder
- Rural Medicare beneficiaries
- Behavioral health providers
Identified Costs
- CMS
- Medicare Administrative Contractors
- Federal taxpayers
- Fraud oversight staff
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Hern of Oklahoma (for himself, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Fitzpatrick, …
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in …
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Behavioral health providers, Patients with substance use disorder
Medicare beneficiaries needing mental health care
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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