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Expanding Telehealth Access for Substance Use Disorder Treatment

This bill aims to make substance use disorder treatment more accessible through telehealth, especially for Medicare beneficiaries. This means patients can start treatment sooner, often without an initial in-person visit, potentially improving their recovery outcomes. It also establishes a task force to monitor the effectiveness and safety of these changes.
Key points
Removes the requirement for an initial in-person medical evaluation before receiving substance use disorder telehealth services via audio or telephone for Medicare patients.
Allows for the prescription of certain controlled substances (e.g., partial opioid agonists) after a telehealth evaluation, with a follow-up video visit required within 10 days for audio-only prescriptions.
Establishes an interagency task force to collect data on telehealth utilization, overdose rates, and treatment costs to assess the impact of these changes.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services relating to substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes.
Print number: HR 5837
Sponsor: Rep. Curtis, John R. [R-UT-3]
Process start date: 2021-11-03
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Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash
Source data: api.congress.gov
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Summary & Status

Key Questions about Expanding Telehealth Access for Substance Use Disorder Treatment

A structured overview of the legislative process, official sources, status and civic context.

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is HR 5837.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-11-03.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Removes the requirement for an initial in-person medical evaluation before receiving substance use disorder telehealth services via audio or telephone for Medicare patients.
  • Allows for the prescription of certain controlled substances (e.g., partial opioid agonists) after a telehealth evaluation, with a follow-up video visit required within 10 days for audio-only prescriptions.
  • Establishes an interagency task force to collect data on telehealth utilization, overdose rates, and treatment costs to assess the impact of these changes.

What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Curtis, John R. [R-UT-3].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2026-01-02.

Analysis and Potential Impact of HR 5837

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge. Review our public AI processing logs for full transparency, and use Lustra to track active legislation for instant status push notifications.

CATEGORIES

Health