This bill, known as the Transparent Telehealth Bills Act of 2024, aims to prevent health care providers and facilities from charging higher fees for telehealth visits simply because the provider is physically located at a hospital or medical facility rather than elsewhere. Under the bill, group health plans and group health insurance coverage could not recognize a higher total payment for a telehealth service just because the provider delivering it works out of a facility, effectively banning facility fees that inflate the cost of virtual care. It also directly prohibits health care facilities from billing a separate facility fee for telehealth services when the provider is already able to bill independently for their professional services, with violations subject to civil penalties of up to $10,000 each, enforced by the Department of Labor. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress within 18 months on telehealth usage trends, including access in rural versus urban areas, facility fee practices, cross-state telehealth issues, and effects on insurance premiums. These changes would primarily affect employers offering group health plans, insurers, telehealth providers, and patients using virtual care, with the payment restrictions taking effect for plan years starting on or after January 1, 2026.
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