# Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021

This bill makes it easier for Medicare patients to access mental health and behavioral health services through video calls and other telehealth technology. Right now, Medicare has restrictions on which mental health services can be delivered remotely and where patients need to be located to receive them. This bill removes those geographic restrictions and expands what types of mental health services Medicare will cover when delivered through telehealth.

The practical effect is that Medicare beneficiaries—mostly people over 65—could see a therapist, psychiatrist, or counselor from home via video without having to travel to an office or clinic. This is especially helpful for people in rural areas where mental health providers are scarce, people with mobility issues, or anyone who finds it difficult to get to appointments in person. The bill also includes behavioral health services alongside traditional mental health care, meaning it covers a broader range of psychological and emotional support services.

The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to study how these telehealth mental health services are being used and report back to Congress within a year after the COVID-19 emergency period ends. This report will look at whether there are any fraud or abuse problems with remote mental health services and whether additional funding is needed to monitor and oversee these services properly. Essentially, the government wants to make sure the system works well and that taxpayer money is being spent appropriately while still making mental health care more accessible to seniors.

Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021

Matsui, Doris O.

Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021 This bill eliminates certain restrictions relating to Medicare coverage of mental health services that are provided through telehealth. Current law allows for coverage of such services regardless of the geographic location of the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as long as the beneficiary previously received in-person services and continues to receive in-person services at specified intervals. The bill eliminates these in-person requirements.