Sec. 201. Demonstration projects for use of telemedicine services in advance care planning
388 words·~2 min read·
/bill/114/s/2961/is/section-201A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than July 1, 2019, the Secretary shall establish a demonstration program to reimburse eligible entities for costs associated with the use of telemedicine services (including equipment and connection costs) to provide advance care planning through telemedicine consultations with geographically distant providers and their patients. The demonstration project under this section shall be conducted for at least a 3-year period. Not later than March 15, 2017, the Secretary shall, using quantitative and qualitative research methods, submit a report to Congress on the status of telemedicine programs, including information that identifies— the telehealth services for which payment can be made, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, under the fee-for-service program under parts A and B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act; the telehealth services for which payment can be made, as of such date, under private health insurance plans; with respect to services identified under paragraph
(2)but not under paragraph (1), ways in which payment for such services might be incorporated into such fee-for-service program (including any recommendations for ways to accomplish this incorporation); and any legal or regulatory challenges to expanding telehealth services, and any promising solutions to such challenges. For purposes of this section: The term eligible entity means an academic medical center, a medical school, a State health department, a State medical association, a multi-State taskforce, a hospital, a home health agency, or a health system or coalition of stakeholders capable of administering a program for orders regarding life-sustaining treatment for a State or locality. The term geographically distant has the meaning given that term by the Secretary for purposes of conducting the demonstration program established under this section. The term telemedicine services means a service or consultation provided via telecommunication equipment that allows an eligible entity to exchange or discuss medical information with a patient (including the family caregiver of the patient if the patient agrees) or a qualified health care provider at a separate location through real-time videoconferencing, or a similar format, for the purpose of providing health care diagnosis and treatment. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. Any funds made available under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funding provided for telemedicine services.