Permanent Medicare Telehealth Access for Mental Health and Substance Use Services.
This bill permanently removes the requirement for an initial in-person visit before Medicare beneficiaries can receive mental health and substance use disorder services via telehealth. This change ensures seniors and other Medicare recipients have easier, continuous access to necessary therapy and psychiatric consultations from home. It eliminates barriers to care that were previously only temporarily waived during the public health emergency.
Key points
Easier access to care: Medicare patients can permanently receive mental health diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment, as well as substance use disorder services, remotely without a prior in-person visit.
Support for clinics: The law ensures Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can continue providing these remote services indefinitely, removing time limits tied to the end of the emergency period.
Expired
Citizen Poll