MEDICAID AND TELEHEALTH.

SEC. 11002. [42 U.S.C. 1396a note] MEDICAID AND TELEHEALTH. (a) Guidance to States on Furnishing Services Through Telehealth Under Medicaid and CHIP.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide technical assistance and issue guidance to States on improving access to telehealth for services covered under Medicaid and CHIP, including with respect to: (1) How States can adopt flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP to expand access to covered services via telehealth, including when States may adopt such flexibilities without the need for approval of a State plan amendment or waiver. (2) Best practices regarding billing for services, including recommended voluntary billing codes, modifiers, and place of service designations and how such billing codes, modifiers, and designations can be used to create consistent data sets. (3) Strategies for integrating telehealth services into value-based care models. (4) Best practices from States that have used Medicaid waivers and other Medicaid authorities to expand access to telehealth, including during the COVID-19 public health emergency declared by the Secretary pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act on January 31, 2020, entitled “Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus”, including any renewal of such declaration. (5) Strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth, including addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities, medically underserved urban and rural communities, racial and ethnic minorities such as American Indians and Alaska Natives, individuals with limited English proficiency, and individuals of different age groups including children, young adults, and seniors; (6) Strategies for training and providing resources to providers and patients on the use of telehealth, including working with interpreters to furnish health services and providing resources in multiple languages. (7) Integrating the use of existing video platforms that enable multi-person video calls. (8) Best practices to support the delivery of covered services under Medicaid and CHIP via telehealth in schools, including specifically for the provision of mental health and substance use disorder services in such settings. (9) Strategies for evaluating how the delivery of health services via telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost under Medicaid and CHIP. (10) Best practices for conveying information to beneficiaries regarding the availability of telehealth as an option to receive services covered under Medicaid and CHIP, including the availability of audio-only telehealth, the ability to receive such services from a patient’s home, and requirements related to in-person visits. (b) Definitions.—In this section: (1) CHIP.—The term “CHIP” means the State children’s health insurance program established under title XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.). (2) Medicaid.—The term “Medicaid” means the program established under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.). (3) Secretary.—Except as otherwise provided, the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. (4) State.—The term “State” has the meaning given that term in section 1101(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1301(a)(1)) for purposes of titles XIX and XXI of such Act.