PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 5, 2025
This bill permanently removes in-person evaluation requirements for mental health telehealth services under Medicare.
People & committees
Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] · R–OK
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Feb 13, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-05 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This proposal seeks to remove Medicare’s in-person visit requirements for mental health care delivered remotely. It would rewrite an exception to geographic restrictions for certain mental health and substance use disorder services. It would also remove an April 1, 2025 cutoff from provisions governing mental health visits furnished by rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers.
1. Removing the in-person requirements under Medicare for mental health services furnished through telehealth and telecommunications technology
The geographic requirements described in paragraph (4)(C)(i) shall not apply
(b) Mental health visits furnished by rural health clinics Section 1834(y)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(y)(2)) is amended by striking prior to April 1, 2025. (c) Mental health visits furnished by federally qualified health centers Section 1834(o)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(o)(4)(B)) is amended by striking prior to April 1, 2025.
The proposed replacement would exempt qualifying remote services from the referenced geographic restrictions when furnished on or after July 1, 2020, to an eligible person diagnosed with a substance use disorder. The services must treat that disorder or a co-occurring mental health disorder, as determined by the Secretary.
The geographic requirements described in paragraph (4)(C)(i) shall not apply with respect to telehealth services furnished on or after July 1, 2020, to an eligible telehealth individual with a substance use disorder diagnosis for purposes of treatment of such disorder or co-occurring mental health disorder, as determined by the Secretary
The proposed geographic exception would also cover qualifying remote diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a mental health disorder for eligible people, as determined by the Secretary. This branch of the exception would apply starting the day after the emergency period referenced in the bill ends.
or, on or after the first day after the end of the emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B), to an eligible telehealth individual for purposes of diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of a mental health disorder, as determined by the Secretary
The geographic exception would remain subject to rules about the patient's location during remote care. The replacement refers to an existing list of permitted locations, excludes the category in subclause (IX), and allows locations under a separate provision for as long as that provision applies. The supplied text does not identify those locations or that period’s end date.
at an originating site described in paragraph (4)(C)(ii) (other than an originating site described in subclause (IX) of such paragraph) or, for the period for which clause (iii) of paragraph (4)(C) applies, at any site described in such clause.
For mental health visits furnished by rural health clinics, the bill would delete “prior to April 1, 2025” from section 1834(y)(2). The surrounding statutory rule is not reproduced, so this text alone does not establish the full effect of removing that cutoff.
(b) Mental health visits furnished by rural health clinics Section 1834(y)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(y)(2)) is amended by striking prior to April 1, 2025.
For mental health visits furnished by federally qualified health centers, the bill would delete “prior to April 1, 2025” from section 1834(o)(4)(B). The surrounding statutory rule is not reproduced, so this text alone does not establish the full effect of removing that cutoff.
(c) Mental health visits furnished by federally qualified health centers Section 1834(o)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(o)(4)(B)) is amended by striking prior to April 1, 2025.
The supplied action snapshot, updated February 13, 2026, records introduction in the House on March 5, 2025, and referral that day to the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees.
Source snapshot updated 2026-02-13T21:00:34Z.
2025-03-05: Introduced in House
2025-03-05: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-05. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not cover other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish the absence of earmarks in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential treatment warranting a finding was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. The coverage provisions concern the main policy’s intended patients and providers. This conclusion is limited to this version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Feb 13, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI