Transparent Telehealth Bills Act of 2024

The Frame

What this does

If passed, this law would limit the total amount insurance plans can pay for a telehealth visit to the same rate as a standard remote visit, potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients whose plans currently pass facility-based surcharges on to them.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Group health plan participants

Their health plans will be prohibited from paying inflated facility-based rates for their telehealth services.

Health care facilities

They will be unable to bill group health plans for facility fees when their providers perform telehealth services.

What changed

Last recorded activity December 19, 2024.

What's next

Introduced.

Background

Mr. Bean is a U.S. Representative serving Florida's 4th congressional district. context
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry. context

Summary

This bill prevents health insurance plans from paying higher fees for telehealth services simply because the doctor is working from a hospital or medical facility. It aims to stop 's' from being added to remote medical appointments, effective for plan years starting on or after January 1, 2026.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

If passed, this law would limit the total amount insurance plans can pay for a telehealth visit to the same rate as a standard remote visit, potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients whose plans currently pass facility-based surcharges on to them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this change how much I pay for a doctor's visit?

The bill prevents insurance plans from paying extra 's' for telehealth. Depending on your specific plan, this could prevent your insurance from passing those higher costs on to you.

When does this take effect?

If enacted, the payment restrictions apply to health plan years starting on or after January 1, 2026.

What counts as a 'telehealth service' under this bill?

It is defined as a service provided via a telecommunications system where the provider is in a different location than the patient.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Targeting Facility Fee Arbitrage

The bill specifically targets the practice of charging facility fees for services that do not physically occur within the facility, signaling a legislative push to standardize telehealth reimbursement rates.

Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974

Connected Entities

organizationCongress“Body responsible for considering the bill.”Map →

bill_numberEmployee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974“The primary law being amended.”Map →

locationFlorida“State where the bill was introduced.”Map →

organizationComptroller General of the United States“Responsible for conducting the required report.”Map →

organizationU.S. Government Publishing Office“Source of the document.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level