Page 2 Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2015

•

BILL DRAFT CURRENT LAW

Flexibility in Accountable Care Organizations Coverage of An ACO shall define processes to promote
Telehealth evidence-based medicine and patient
An ACO may include coverage of telehealth and RPM services engagement, report on quality and cost
as supplemental health care benefits to the same extent as a measures, and coordinate care, such as
Medicare Advantage Plan is permitted to provide coverage of through the use of telehealth, RPM, and other
such services as supplemental health care benefits. such enabling techniques.

An ACO may include payments for RPM and home-based
video conferencing in connection with the provision of home
health services.

National Pilot Program on Payment Bundling N/A
Telehealth and RPM are added to the National Pilot Program on
Payment Bundling.
Additional Telehealth Originating Sites Eligible patients must be located in a rural
Adds the following telehealth originating sites that qualify for HPSA, non-MSA, or in a demonstration
Medicare payment, whether or not they are located in a rural program; and also must be in an eligible
Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), Metropolitan Statisti- originating site facility, which includes:
cal Area (MSA), or a demonstration program: • Office of a physician or practitioner;
• Critical access hospital; • Critical access hospital;
• Sole community hospital; • Rural health clinic;
• Home telehealth site; • Federally qualified health center (FQHC);
• Any other originating site in current law that is located in • Hospital;
a county with a population of less than 25,000, according • Hospital-based or critical access hospi-
to the most recent decennial census, or in an area that tal-based renal dialysis center;
was not included in a MSA on any date in 2000; • Skilled nursing facility;
• Any other originating site in current law, with respect to • Community mental health center.
services related to the evaluation or treatment of an acute
stroke.

The additional sites are not eligible for a site facility fee.

Definitions
“Home telehealth site” is a telehealth service furnished to an
individual in their place of residence.

“Telehealth service” [as used in the definition of “home telehealth
site”] is related to the provision of hospice care or home dialysis,
or furnished to an individual who is determined to be homebound.

The Secretary will pay for telehealth services furnished or Store-and-forward is only covered for federal
received at a critical access hospital or a sole community telemedicine demonstration programs in
hospital, including services provided by store-and-forward Alaska and Hawaii.
technologies.

• •
Ph: 877-707-7172 I info@cchpca.org I www.cchpca.org Page 2
1331 Garden Highway, Sacramento, CA 95833