H.R. 783 — Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act

This section codifies COVID-19-era flexibilities for Medicare coverage of cardiac rehabilitation services (including intensive cardiac rehabilitation), as defined in SSA §1861(eee), and pulmonary rehabilitation services, as defined in SSA §1861(fff). (These Part B-covered services provide structured exercise, education, and risk-factor modification for beneficiaries with qualifying heart or chronic lung conditions.) Specifically, the section (1) amends SSA §1861(eee)(2)(A)(ii) to authorize such services on an outpatient basis, including in a beneficiary's home when furnished via two-way audio-visual telehealth or when the home is designated as a hospital outpatient provider-based location; (2) amends SSA §1861(eee)(2)(B) to permit physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist supervision through virtual presence via two-way audio-visual telehealth; (3) amends SSA §1834(m) to expand telehealth originating sites for these services to include beneficiary homes at certain sites (e.g., provider-based hospital departments) without geographic restrictions and to authorize payment when furnished by physicians, practitioners, or hospitals; and (4) directs the HHS Secretary to promulgate rules establishing standards for designating beneficiary homes as provider-based hospital locations for these programs (consistent with Hospital Without Walls waivers) and adding the programs to the telehealth services list under SSA §1834(m)(4)(F), with such standards effective on the date of issuance.