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.