To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The CONNECT for Health Act of 2023 makes permanent several Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were temporarily expanded during COVID-19. It removes geographic restrictions that previously limited telehealth to rural areas, allows patients to receive telehealth services from home or any clinically appropriate location, and expands which healthcare providers can offer telehealth services.
Who Benefits and How
Medicare beneficiaries benefit from expanded access to healthcare from home, eliminating the need to travel to specific medical facilities. Healthcare providers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and mental health professionals, gain the ability to serve more patients remotely without geographic limitations. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Rural Health Clinics, and Native American health facilities can now serve as telehealth sites and receive Medicare payment for these services. Health technology companies benefit from increased demand for telehealth platforms and remote patient monitoring equipment.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The HHS Inspector General receives new oversight responsibilities and must conduct audits of telehealth billing patterns, with $3 million authorized annually for fiscal years 2024-2028. Healthcare providers face new scrutiny through outlier billing pattern identification and notification requirements. CMS must develop new resources, guidance, and quality measures for telehealth services, adding administrative workload.
Key Provisions
- Removes geographic requirements for Medicare telehealth services effective January 1, 2025
- Allows the patients home (including temporary lodging) to serve as an originating site for telehealth
- Repeals the 6-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health services
- Establishes fraud prevention measures and authorizes $15 million over 5 years for telehealth oversight
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Permanently expands Medicare telehealth coverage by removing geographic restrictions, expanding eligible originating sites, broadening practitioner eligibility, and establishing program integrity and beneficiary engagement requirements.
Key Policy Areas
Healthcare, Medicare, Telehealth, Public Health
Primary Purpose
Permanently expands Medicare telehealth coverage by removing geographic restrictions, expanding eligible originating sites, broadening practitioner eligibility, and establishing program integrity and beneficiary engagement requirements.
Policy Domains
Title I - Telehealth Modernization
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Medicare beneficiaries
- Healthcare providers
- Federally Qualified Health Centers
- Rural Health Clinics
- Native American health facilities
- Telehealth technology companies
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- CMS administrators
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title II - Program Integrity
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Healthcare providers (technology safe harbor)
- Telehealth equipment suppliers
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- HHS Inspector General
- Healthcare providers with outlier billing patterns
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Title III - Access and Quality
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Medicare beneficiaries with limited English proficiency
- Beneficiaries with disabilities
- Healthcare providers
- Health IT vendors
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- CMS (reporting requirements)
- Healthcare quality organizations
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Thune, …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Allied health professionals, Healthcare providers billing for telehealth, Healthcare providers during public health emergencies
Positive-direction: Allied health professionals, Healthcare providers during public health emergencies, Healthcare providers furnishing telehealth equipment, Healthcare providers learning telehealth requirements, Healthcare providers offering telehealth services, Healthcare providers seeking to offer new telehealth services, Indian Health Service facilities, Mental health providers offering telehealth, Non-physician healthcare practitioners (nurse practitioners, PAs, etc.), Rural Health Clinics, Telehealth Resource Centers, Tribal health organizations, Urban healthcare providers
Negative-direction: Healthcare providers billing for telehealth, Healthcare providers with high telehealth billing volume, Healthcare quality measurement organizations
Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare beneficiaries during emergencies, Medicare beneficiaries receiving telehealth at home
CMS administrators, CMS data and reporting staff, CMS quality programs staff
Positive-direction: HHS Office of Inspector General
Negative-direction: CMS administrators, CMS data and reporting staff, CMS quality programs staff, HHS/CMS staff developing training materials, Secretary of HHS
Health IT software vendors, Telehealth industry stakeholders, Telehealth platform providers
Positive-direction: Telehealth industry stakeholders, Telehealth platform providers, Telemental health platforms
Negative-direction: Health IT software vendors
Healthcare researchers and policy analysts, National Academy of Medicine
Positive-direction: Healthcare researchers and policy analysts
Negative-direction: National Academy of Medicine
Medical device and telehealth equipment manufacturers, Remote patient monitoring device suppliers
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Health and Human Services
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies for Health Act of 2023
The home of an individual (including temporary lodging) or any clinically appropriate site where a telehealth service is furnished
Has the meaning given in section 1834(m)(4)(F) of the Social Security Act
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.
Learn more about our methodology