HEAT Act

Home Health Emergency Access to Telehealth Act or the HEAT Act

This bill provides for Medicare coverage of home health services that are furnished via telehealth during a public health emergency, in accordance with specified requirements.

Specifically, the bill allows telehealth services to substitute for in-person home health services and to be considered as home health visits for purposes of payment under Medicare during a public health emergency. Such services (1) may not constitute more than 50% of the number of billable visits in a 30-day period, (2) must be furnished under a plan of care established by a practitioner with whom the beneficiary has an existing care relationship, and (3) must be furnished in accordance with the beneficiary's consent.