TELEMH Act of 2024

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7858) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a Medicare incident to modifier for mental health services furnished through telehealth, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7858, the Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act of 2024, led by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. James), a valuable member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. James' legislation will put in place program integrity measures so that we can better understand the extent to which telehealth is working for patients on Medicare.

Over the past several years, telehealth has proven itself to be a vital way for patients to access care, especially in rural communities. Telehealth services are still being used widely among Medicare beneficiaries compared to prepandemic levels. Evaluation and management services, such as doctors' visits and following up to imaging, have accounted for nearly all of telehealth spending in Medicare.

As Congress works to continue allowing seniors to access telehealth through Medicare, this bill will implement a key recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general to increase transparency and allow more detailed data collection on types of providers performing telehealth services.

This will help ensure Medicare beneficiaries are not just benefiting from expanded access and quality care, but the best value these technologies have to offer.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC, September 11, 2024.

Hon. Jason Smith,

Chair, Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chair Smith: I write regarding H.R. 7858, the ``TELEMH

Act of 2024,'' which was referred in addition to the

Committee on Ways and Means.

I ask that the Committee forgo action on the bill so that

it may be scheduled for consideration on the House floor.

This concession would in no way affect the Committee's

jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bill. In

addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I

would support the Committee's request for conferees on the

conference committee. Finally, I would be pleased to include

this letter and your response in the Congressional Record

during debate on the bill.

Thank you for your consideration of my request and for the

extraordinary cooperation shown by you and your staff over

matters of shared jurisdiction. I look forward to further

opportunities to work with you this Congress.

Sincerely,

Cathy McMorris Rodgers,

Chair.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. James).

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers), my chairwoman, friend, and mentor, for her stellar leadership and for giving me a shot.

One of the big reasons why I ran for Congress in the first place was to help people, and this bill, with strong bipartisan support, is going to take another step in helping everyday Americans.

I rise today to speak about my critical bill, H.R. 7858, the Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act of 2024. At a time when mental health needs are soaring, this bill will revolutionize access to mental health care by ushering transformative changes to Medicare reimbursement policies for mental health services provided for by telehealth.

It will modernize healthcare delivery by establishing a new modifier, or code, tailored explicitly for telehealth-delivered mental health services.

In layman's terms, in normal people's terms, it is hard out there. It is tough out there, and Americans need and deserve help from the folks that they sent here to represent them. Simply, this bill is a critical step toward realizing the full potential of telehealth in delivering these vital mental health services to Americans who are at their wits end.

By introducing a specific modifier for telehealth-based mental health services, we are not only streamlining the billing and reimbursement processes, cutting red tape, but also amplifying access for those in need regardless of their geographic barriers or their economic abilities.

Mr. Speaker, this is a no-brainer. Right now, our Nation is experiencing a hopelessness crisis, and this bipartisan legislation will allow millions to get the care that they need right when and where they need it.

The bottom line is this legislation is going to save lives, and I ask all of my colleagues to please support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7858, the Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act.

This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a modifier on claims submitted to Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth. This modifier will allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to identify when mental health services are being provided virtually by different types of providers and will help ensure beneficiaries receiving mental health support remotely can access care when they need it.

We know that mental health care is healthcare. In the face of an ongoing mental health and substance use disorder epidemic, it is critical that Medicare beneficiaries are able to access behavioral and mental health services virtually.

This bill will ensure Medicare beneficiaries enjoy continued access to high-quality telemental health services from a range of qualified providers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on H.R. 7858, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again, now, we are dealing with another important telehealth bill for mental health services, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill, as well, on both sides of the aisle, and I yield back the balance of my time.