119-s248

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 248 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 248

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permanently extend 
 certain in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation flexibilities 
 established in response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 24, 2025

Mrs. Blackburn (for herself and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permanently extend 
 certain in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation flexibilities 
 established in response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Sustainable Cardiopulmonary 
Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act''.

SEC. 2. CODIFYING VIRTUAL CARDIOPULMONARY REHABILITATION FLEXIBILITIES 
 ESTABLISHED IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19.

    (a) In General.--

Section 1861

    (eee)

    (2) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395x

    (eee)

    (2) ) is amended--

    (1) in subparagraph
        (A)
            (ii) , by inserting ``, including in 
 the home of an individual when furnished as a telehealth 
 service through audio-visual real-time communications 
 technology, or when such home is designated as a provider-based 
 location of a hospital outpatient department'' after 
 ``outpatient basis''; and

    (2) in subparagraph
        (B) , by inserting ``, including through 
 the virtual presence of such physician, physician assistant, 
 nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist, through 
 audio-visual real-time communications technology'' after 
 ``under the program''.

    (b) Expanding Originating Sites.--

Section 1834
            (m) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m
            (m) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1) , by striking ``and

    (9) '' and all that 
 follows through ``(as defined in paragraph

    (4)
        (E) )'' and 
 inserting ``,

    (9) , and

    (10) , the Secretary shall pay for 
 telehealth services that are furnished via a telecommunications 
 system by a physician (as defined in 

section 1861

    (r) ) or a 
 practitioner (as defined in paragraph

    (4)
        (E) ), or by a hospital 
 (as defined in 

section 1861

    (e) )'';

    (2) in paragraph

    (2)
        (A) , by striking ``or practitioner'' 
 each place that it appears and inserting ``, practitioner, or 
 hospital'';

    (3) in paragraph

    (4)
        (A) , by striking ``or practitioner'' 
 and inserting ``, practitioner, or hospital'';

    (4) in paragraph

    (4)
            (C) --
        (A) in clause
            (i) , by striking ``and

    (7) '' and 
 inserting ``

    (7) , and

    (10) ''; and
        (B) in clause
            (ii) 
            (X) , by striking ``paragraph

    (7) '' and inserting ``paragraphs

    (7) and

    (10) '';

    (5) in paragraph

    (4)
        (F)
            (i) , by striking ``paragraph

    (8) '' 
 and inserting ``paragraphs

    (8) and

    (10) ''; and

    (6) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
 ``

    (10) Treatment of cardiac rehabilitation program, 
 intensive cardiac rehabilitation program, and pulmonary 
 rehabilitation program visits furnished through telehealth.--In 
 the case of items and services furnished on or after January 1, 
 2026, the geographic requirements described in paragraph

    (4)
            (C) 
            (i) shall not apply with respect to telehealth services 
 for cardiac rehabilitation programs and intensive cardiac 
 rehabilitation programs (as such terms are defined in 

section 1861

    (eee) ) and pulmonary rehabilitation programs (as defined in 
 

section 1861

    (fff) ) at an originating site described in 
 subclause
            (V) or
            (X) of paragraph

    (4)
            (C) 
            (ii) .''.
            (c) Authority To Establish Standards and Allow for Certain Programs 
To Utilize Telehealth Services.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
 enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human 
 Services shall--
        (A) establish standards for the designation of the 
 home of an individual with status as a provider-based 
 organization of a hospital consistent with waivers 
 issued through the Hospital Without Walls program for 
 cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, and 
 intensive cardiac rehabilitation; and
        (B) include items and services furnished under a 
 cardiac rehabilitation program or under an intensive 
 cardiac rehabilitation program (as such terms are 
 defined in 

section 1861

    (eee) of the Social Security Act 
 (42 U.S.C. 1395x

    (eee) ), or under a pulmonary 
 rehabilitation program (as defined in 

section 1861

    (fff) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x

    (fff) ) among telehealth 
 services to be specified under 

section 1834
            (m) (4)
        (F) of 
 such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m
            (m) (4)
        (F) ).

    (2) Effective date.--The standards established under 
 paragraph

    (1) shall apply to items and services furnished on or 
 after January 1, 2026.
            (d) Implementation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of the 
law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services may implement the 
provisions of, and the amendments made by, this section by program 
instruction or otherwise.

    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections

    (a) and

    (b) shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 
2026.
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