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S 1636 118th Congress Senate Health Health care coverage and access Health facilities and institutions Health information and medical records Health technology, devices, supplies Home and outpatient care Internet, web applications, social media Medicare Mental health Rural conditions and development Sound recording

Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act

Introduced: May 17, 2023 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 118th Congress ended
It never became law before the 118th Congress (2023–2024) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 17, 2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
May 17, 2023
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act

This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare.

Specifically, the bill permanently (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary), (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services, (3) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner), and (4) expands coverage to include audio-only services for evaluation and management and behavioral health services.

What's happening now May 17, 2023

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 3440 Identical bill Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 1 Republican 4
R
Capito, Shelley Moore
West Virginia · May 30, 2023
 R
Cramer, Kevin
North Dakota · May 30, 2023
 R
Ernst, Joni
Iowa · May 17, 2023
 R
Moran, Jerry
Kansas · May 17, 2023
 D
Shaheen, Jeanne
New Hampshire · May 17, 2023
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1636: Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act. 118th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/118-S-1636/
MLA
"S. 1636: Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act." 118th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/118-S-1636/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1636, 118th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/118-S-1636/.
Markdown link
[S. 1636: Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/118-S-1636/)
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