H.R. 6000: 21st Century Cures 2.0

H.R. 6000, the 21st Century Cures Act 2.0, was introduced on November 17, 2021 by Diane DeGette (D-CO-1) and Fred Upton (R-MI-6), and currently has 91 cosponsors. The bill addresses several topics relevant to telehealth and digital health, including breakthrough devices.

Title I of the bill addresses various public health initiatives, including study of long covid, and Title II would expand programs for patients and caregivers. Title III incorporates several initiatives affecting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including expanding the use of real-world evidence (RWE); requiring communication between the FDA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); and accelerating the timeline for breakthrough and regenerative medicine advanced therapy (RMAT) designation. Title IV, dealing with CMS, would incorporate concepts advanced in several other bills, including increasing access to telehealth under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Programs (H.R. 1397, the Telehealth Improvement for Kids' Essential Services (TIKES) Act; extending the Medicare telehealth flexibilities beyond the expiration of the covid public health emergency (H.R. 1332, the Telehealth Modernization Act); providing for coverage of breakthrough devices (H.R. 4043, the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act); and expanding access to genetic testing (H.R. 5989, the Precision Medicine Answers for Kids Today Act). Title V provides additional funding for health research.

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Published: 30 November 2021 30 November 2021

Last Updated: 04 March 2022 04 March 2022

• telehealth
• breakthrough devices

H.R. 1205 would authorize grants to improve mental health access from the ER

H.R. 1205, the "Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2021", was introduced by Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36).  It passed the House on May 12, 2021.  This Act would authorize grants to health providers that operate emergency departments, are staffed by medical personnel capable of providing treatment to stabilize acute mental health conditions, and have arrangements in place with other providers of care to provide treatment of acute mental health episodes.  The grants would be used to create, support or expand programs to assist patients treated for acute mental health episodes to transition to an appropriate facility or setting for follow-on care.  Grants could be used for alternative approaches such as telepsychiatry and proactive followup such as telemedicine.

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Published: 06 August 2021 06 August 2021

Last Updated: 06 August 2021 06 August 2021

• telemedicine
• telepsychiatry

H.R. 4480 - Telehealth Coverage and Payment Parity Act

H.R. 4480, the Telehealth Coverage and Payment Parity Act, was introduced on July 16, 2021 by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN-3). The bill has one cosponsor. The bill would require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to cover telehealth services if the same services would be covered if furnished in-person. Group health plans and insurers would be required to provide benefits under the same terms and with the same cost-sharing requirements as would apply to in-person services, and pay providers the same amount for telehealth as for in-person services. Also, group health plans and insurers could not require that the provider have a prior relationship with the patient, or establish incentives or penalties to discourage telehealth. Group health plans and insurers could waive cost-sharing requirements for diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19. The bill would also expand the definition of "qualifying telecommunications system" to include audio-only communications.

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Published: 22 August 2021 22 August 2021

Last Updated: 22 August 2021 22 August 2021

• telehealth
• health insurance