This bill permanently allows, for purposes of hospice care recertification under Medicare, physicians and nurse practitioners to fulfill the requirement of a face-to-face encounter with the hospice patient via telehealth.
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit the use of 
 telehealth for purposes of recertification of eligibility for hospice 
                                 care.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. USE OF TELEHEALTH TO CONDUCT FACE-TO-FACE ENCOUNTER PRIOR TO 
              RECERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR HOSPICE CARE.

    Section 1814(a)(7)(D)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395f(a)(7)(D)(i)) is amended to read as follows:
                            ``(i) a hospice physician or nurse 
                        practitioner has a face-to-face encounter 
                        (which may be conducted via telehealth, as 
                        determined appropriate by the Secretary) with 
                        the individual to determine continued 
                        eligibility of the individual for hospice care 
                        prior to the 180th-day recertification and each 
                        subsequent recertification under subparagraph 
                        (A)(ii) and attests that such visit took place 
                        (in accordance with procedures established by 
                        the Secretary); and''.
                                 <all>
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit the use of telehealth for purposes of recertification of eligibility for hospice care.
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit the use of telehealth for purposes of recertification of eligibility for hospice care.
Official Titles - House of Representatives
Official Title as Introduced
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit the use of telehealth for purposes of recertification of eligibility for hospice care.
Rep. Miller, Carol D.